Slut [The End]
At Jack Barrett, New York City, US

20.05 - 02.07.2022

Jack Barrett is pleased to present Slut [The End], a solo exhibition by Danish artist Rasmus Myrup. This marks the artist’s second solo show with the gallery. The exhibition presents a series of nine pastel drawings in custom frames, five embroidered works on wood, and two large-scale installations. Slut, pronounced /sloot/ in Danish, translates to ‘the end.’ Carrying a vastly different meaning in English, Myrup examines both interpretations of the word, and draws parallels between Norse mythology and contemporary intimate relationships.

According to Norse cosmology, in the beginning there was Ginnungagap, an empty void. To the north of this gaping hole was a realm of ice, and to the south a realm of fire. The realms of fire and ice eventually converged, and from this occurrence, primordial life sprung into being. Similarly, the end of the world, known as Ragnarok, is brought on by the two extremes of fire and ice. The world freezes over in a three year long winter and is then set ablaze by a giant's flaming sword. Everything stops and life ceases to exist.

Slut. The end.

However, this end merely prompts a new beginning—an eagle soars over the sea in search of food. The world ended only to begin again. In Norse mythology, time is cyclical rather than linear. The initial extremes of fire and ice are not simply the beginning, but echoes of the endings that came before. Beginnings and ends are not one, but many.

In a similar sense, intimate relationships, whether they be short-lived or long-term, emulate the cycle of Norse myth. A new lover comes into existence unexpectedly, filling the Ginnungagap void of past love affairs that have since burned out or turned cold. In his exhibition, Myrup leads the viewer through the lifecycle of relationships, depicting everything from the initial stages of desire, as seen in Sparks Across the Room (Igniting Muspelheim), moments of intense passion, like in Engulfing Kiss (Jabbed by The Sword of Surtr), and ultimately to the first signs of the inevitable end, like in Cold Shoulder (The World Tree Shudders).

But as the tale goes, the end of one love affair creates the opportunity for the beginning of another.

Slut. The end.



Slut [The End], 2022
Installation view, Jack Barret, NYC

Engulfing Kiss (Jabbed by The Sword of Surtr), 2022
Pastel on synthetic paper, custom wood frame
37 x 24 inches

Slut [The End], 2022
Installation view, Jack Barret, NYC

Slut [The End], 2022
Installation view, Jack Barret, NYC

Start The End (Ginnugagap/Ragnarok) Diptych, 2022
Wool on stained wood
37.25 x 37.25 inches

Detail of Start The End (Ginnugagap/Ragnarok) Diptych, 2022
Wool on stained wood
37.25 x 37.25 inches

Detail of Start The End (Ginnugagap/Ragnarok) Diptych, 2022
Wool on stained wood
37.25 x 37.25 inches

Cold Shoulder (The World Tree Shudders), 2022
Pastel on synthetic paper, custom wood frame
37 x 24 inches

Detail from Cold Shoulder (The World Tree Shudders), 2022
Pastel on synthetic paper, custom wood frame
37 x 24 inches

Slut [The End], 2022
Installation view, Jack Barret, NYC

Slut [The End], 2022
Installation view, Jack Barret, NYC

Hoar Frost (Niflheim Encroaches), 2022
Pastel on synthetic paper, custom wood frame with wool detailing
37 x 24 inches

Detail of Hoar Frost (Niflheim Encroaches), 2022
Pastel on synthetic paper, custom wood frame with wool detailing
37 x 24 inches

Detail of Hoar Frost (Niflheim Encroaches), 2022
Pastel on synthetic paper, custom wood frame with wool detailing
37 x 24 inches

Slut [The End], 2022
Installation view, Jack Barret, NYC

Embers Only (Odin/Fenrir or Frey/Surtr or Thor/Jormundandr or Loki/Heimdal), 2022
Pastel on synthetic paper, custom wood frame with wool detailing
35.25 x 42.5 inches

Detail of Embers Only (Odin/Fenrir or Frey/Surtr or Thor/Jormundandr or Loki/Heimdal), 2022
Pastel on synthetic paper, custom wood frame with wool detailing
35.25 x 42.5 inches

Detail of Embers Only (Odin/Fenrir or Frey/Surtr or Thor/Jormundandr or Loki/Heimdal), 2022
Pastel on synthetic paper, custom wood frame with wool detailing
35.25 x 42.5 inches

The First Snow/The First No (Fimbulwinter Has Begun), 2022
Pastel on synthetic paper, custom wood frame with wool detailing
37 x 24 inches

Detail of The First Snow/The First No (Fimbulwinter Has Begun), 2022
Pastel on synthetic paper, custom wood frame with wool detailing
37 x 24 inches

Detail of The First Snow/The First No (Fimbulwinter Has Begun), 2022
Pastel on synthetic paper, custom wood frame with wool detailing
37 x 24 inches

Slut [The End], 2022
Installation view, Jack Barret, NYC

When You Open Your Eyes During a Kiss (Engulfed in Surtrs Flames), 2022
Pastel on synthetic paper, custom wood frame with wool detailing
38 x 30 inches

Detail of When You Open Your Eyes During a Kiss (Engulfed in Surtrs Flames), 2022
Pastel on synthetic paper, custom wood frame with wool detailing
38 x 30 inches

Detail of When You Open Your Eyes During a Kiss (Engulfed in Surtrs Flames), 2022
Pastel on synthetic paper, custom wood frame with wool detailing
38 x 30 inches

Start The End (Ginnugagap/Ragnarok) White and Red, 2022
Wool on stained wood
37.25 x 18

Detail of Start The End (Ginnugagap/Ragnarok) White and Red, 2022
Wool on stained wood
37.25 x 18

Slut [The End], 2022
Installation view, Jack Barret, NYC

Start The End (Ginnugagap/Ragnarok) Red and White, 2022
Wool on stained wood
37.25 x 18

Detail of Start The End (Ginnugagap/Ragnarok) Red and White, 2022
Wool on stained wood
37.25 x 18

Slut [The End], 2022
Installation view, Jack Barret, NYC

Eruption, Moments Before The End (Muspelheim Encroaches), 2022
Pastel on synthetic paper, custom wood frame with wool detailing
27 x 18 inches

Detail of Eruption, Moments Before The End (Muspelheim Encroaches), 2022
Pastel on synthetic paper, custom wood frame with wool detailing
27 x 18 inches

Detail of Eruption, Moments Before The End (Muspelheim Encroaches), 2022
Pastel on synthetic paper, custom wood frame with wool detailing
27 x 18 inches

Slut [The End], 2022
Installation view, Jack Barret, NYC

Sparks Across The Room (Igniting Muspelheim), 2022
Pastel on synthetic paper, custom wood frame with wool detailing
38 x 30 inches

Detail of Sparks Across The Room (Igniting Muspelheim), 2022
Pastel on synthetic paper, custom wood frame with wool detailing
38 x 30 inches

Detail of Sparks Across The Room (Igniting Muspelheim), 2022
Pastel on synthetic paper, custom wood frame with wool detailing
38 x 30 inches

Slut [The End], 2022
Installation view, Jack Barret, NYC

Just Chilling at Home Hbu (The Sun Has Been Swallowed), 2022
Pastel on synthetic paper, custom wood frame with wool detailing
30 x 22.25 inches

Detail of Just Chilling at Home Hbu (The Sun Has Been Swallowed), 2022
Pastel on synthetic paper, custom wood frame with wool detailing
30 x 22.25 inches

Slut [The End], 2022
Installation view, Jack Barret, NYC

Scorched Snow and Frozen Flames (Niflheim and Muspelheim), 2022
Print on synthetic paper

Slut [The End], 2022
Installation view, Jack Barret, NYC

Start The End (Ginnungagap/Ragnarok) Orange and Blue, 2022
Wool, silk and polyester on stained wood
37.25 x 18

Detail of Start The End (Ginnungagap/Ragnarok) Orange and Blue, 2022
Wool, silk and polyester on stained wood
37.25 x 18

Start The End (Ginnungagap/Ragnarok) Blue and Orange, 2022
Wool and silk on stained wood
37.25 x 18

Detail of Start The End (Ginnungagap/Ragnarok) Blue and Orange, 2022
Wool and silk on stained wood
37.25 x 18

Scorched Snow and Frozen Flames (Niflheim and Muspelheim), 2022
Plastic flakes, glitter, upholstry foam and cardboard

Scorched Snow and Frozen Flames (Niflheim and Muspelheim), 2022
Plastic flakes, glitter, upholstry foam and cardboard

Scorched Snow and Frozen Flames (Niflheim and Muspelheim), 2022
Plastic flakes, glitter, upholstry foam and cardboard