I Scream, You Scream

"I Scream, You Scream, We All Scream for Ice Cream,” a song first published in 1927, by Howard Johnson, Billy Moll, and Robert King, stems from a commercial slogan for the I-Scream bar now known as the Eskimo Pie. This iconic ditty instantly evokes the sweet feeling of summer - sitting poolside enjoying a popsicle, chasing down the musical call of an ice cream truck, or finding yourself a snow cone at a street fair on a steamy August day.

Robert Mann Gallery’s summer exhibition, I Scream, You Scream, looks at both the visual and social culture of ice cream by juxtaposing contemporary color images of ice cream itself with historical images of people savoring every sweet morsel. The show explores how photographers can capture the playfulness of the human experience indulging in the pleasures of life that will melt in your mind, not your hand.

The light-hearted chant epitomizes the amusing scene captured by Garry Winogrand of a women throwing her head back in laughter as she gracefully holds on to her ice cream cone or a phallic advertisement that will cause even the most mature of us to giggle a little. I Scream, You Scream also brings a sense of nostalgia through works by Martin Parr, where we get transported back in time to see ice cream appear as charming novelty food that may have since found sanctuary in an vintage shop.

Conversely, the show incorporates works by Simone Rosenbauer, where the image of ice cream is decontextualized and made into a universal symbol by removing it from the consumer and placing it against a single color background. PUTPUT goes even further and removes the function of two common objects by placing a sponge in guise of a popsicle, creating a visual semblance that confuses our perception and makes us reconsider the materiality of objects.

From humorous snapshots of human delight to a fallen soldier poetically melting on the scorching pavement, the works on display offer an multifaceted look at the role ice cream plays in society. It can represent America’s tendency to reinvent itself, like the ever growing number of flavors, while still preserving elements of the past, like a traditional ice cream stand seen in Jim Dow’s The Sno House that calls to those looking for comfort from sweltering summers. Such ideas lead to more theoretical conservations on society’s reluctance to change as Olivia Locher’s mischievous character, whose outright defiance breaks an outdated Alabama law by having an ice cream cone drip from her back pocket, provides a satirical approach to holding on to the past. Whichever way you lick it, there is nothing sweeter than enjoying a creamy ice cream on a sunny day.

The show features works by: John Albok, Ralph Bartholomew, Jeff Brouws, Ted Croner, Jim Dow, Martin Elkort, Harold Feinstein, Jill Freedman, André Kertész, Olivia Locher, Marly Meisler, Martin Parr, PUTPUT, Simone Rosenbauer, Peter Sekaer, S.B. Walker, Garry Winogrand, and Neil Winokur

Summer hours are Monday - Friday, 10am - 6pm. For additional information and press materials, contact the gallery by telephone (212.989.7600) or by email (mail@robertmann.com).

Images from left to right:

Ted Croner, Untitled (Young Girl with Ice Cream Cone), 1947-52

PUTPUT, #11, Popsicles, 2012

NY MAGAZINE'S THE CUT

THIS NEW EXHIBITION WILL SATISFY YOUR SUMMER SWEET TOOTH
BY SARAH NECHAMKIN

"As the sweaty days of mid-summer approach, the allure of an ice-cream cone becomes ever more tempting. The bells that signal the Mister Softee truck parked on the curb instantly evoke nostalgia for those longing to escape the air-conditioned office and enjoy the simple pleasure of a cold cone. If you can’t, though, at least escape to Robert Mann Gallery, where the newly opened exhibition “I Scream You Scream” promises to satisfy at least some of your cravings."

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FLAUNT MAGAZINE

"I SCREAM, YOU SCREAM" IS THE PERFECT ART SHOW FOR SUMMER
BY CHELSEY SANCHEZ

You’ve got your record breaking heat waves, standard farmer’s tan, annoyingly hot leather car seats that burn thighs like it’s nobody’s business, and the only thing missing from this picture perfect summer scene is that delectable, sole joy of a scorching summer: ice cream.

New York City’s Robert Mann Gallery is playing their cards right by presenting “I Scream, You Scream” for their summer exhibition. Since July 6th and up until August 16th, the gallery has displayed photographic works of (surprise, surprise - you guessed it) ice cream.

The collection of works, culled from multiple photographers, is a feat to all lovers of the ultimate summer treat, and reveals more than just fun, melty goodness. The exhibit indulges in the human experience, juxtaposing bright colors to the treat’s social, cultural, and historical value.

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ANOTHER MAGAZINE

JOYOUS PHOTOGRAPHS OF ICE CREAM THROUGH THE AGES
BY BELLE HUTTON

Investigations into the early origins of ice cream, that best loved of summertime refreshments, don’t uncover much in the way of its trajectory. Ancient Greek ruler Alexander the Great is said to have enjoyed snow flavoured with honey; Marco Polo, too, seems to have developed a penchant for the similarly formulated sherbet while travelling in the East and, come the 17th century, ‘cream ice’ appeared often at the dining table of Charles I. Little did those early tastemakers know that, centuries later, ice cream would become synonymous with the warmest months of the year, and a favourite around the world.

This month, a new exhibition at Robert Mann Gallery in New York looks at the social and cultural staying power of ice cream. The show comprises a whole range of contemporary creative media, from small 3D sculptures fashioned out of household items such as scouring sponges and lollipop sticks, as by interdisciplinary Swiss and Danish artist duo PUTPUT, to photographs by the likes of Martin Parr, Meryl Meisler and Jim Dow. I Scream, You Scream is a joyous exploration of the humble ice cream’s appearance in both art and photography over recent decades, as well as of the artistic and creative possibilities that image-makers have found in scoops, cones and lollies. Whether it’s a sunshine yellow ice lolly melting onto a fantastically bright blue background, or an irreverent (and phallic) 1935 advertisement for an ice cream cone, these photographs are bound to brighten up even the most mundane of Mondays.

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