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Exhibition: June 18th - July 23rd, 2016
Opening Reception: June 18th, 2016, 7pm - 11pm
David Freeman is an artist from McAllen, Texas who explores immigration, border issues and the war on drugs. He has been featured in The New York Times as a prevalent artist pushing social-political work beyond "border nations".
Observing (A)trophy Life - Celebrating Our Luxury of Social, Personal and Political Addiction is an exploration of the system of complexities found in border-nations and beyond. David Freeman creates a satirically ceremonial celebration of our populations' luxurious addictions, many of which are contradictory. Through his Trophy series, he juxtaposes the existence of drug cartels and our participation in it's survival due to our own personal addictions. His origins have thus profoundly influenced his art as he creates a context and platform for discussion on prevalent national issues. Leon will be exhibiting Freeman's series of drug cartel inspired mixed-media trophies, life sized piñatas in the image of border patrol guards and refugees, and colorful border travel photographs.
David Freeman's origins have profoundly influenced his art, as he observes that there exists a living presence of a blending of cultures and ethnicity in south Texas. His work depicts a truth within our society, which we are either not aware of, or, choose to ignore. That is one of greed, and luxury, within our personal, social and political lives. He does this ironically by creating grandiose trophies, painting them completely in gold and adorning them with such cultural and drug cartel related icons as skulls, weapons and patron saints. The appearance of luxury hides the ugly and dangerous system within which allows for the possessions of luxury to thrive. In Freeman's art, this luxury is the possession of drugs, which allows the drug cartel to continue producing and working, habitually with violent consequences.
Artist Statement:
Trophies are celebrations of victory; they are mementos to some achievement or success. My trophies, an accumulated assemblage of token trophy styles are embellished with symbols and objects collected from flea markets and yard sales in Mexico and Texas. These trophies embrace the mirroring of a reliquary concept but multi task as an acknowledgment of something that has been won in battle too. They celebrate the dark side of victory and speak of a horrific time and event that exists in my backyard. One of violence that is acted out purely to impress others in the basest acts of terrorism, the Narco- terror campaign in Mexico.
This work thus represents a system of contradictions of the identities of good and bad battling one another. These truths are mirrored in juxtapositions of contradiction. The first being the utilization of a plastic commercial process such as a trophy as a medium of fine art, full of devised icons of instant recognition and communication, presented in a lowbrow process. The second being that there exists a living presence and blending of cultures and ethnicity in south Texas, yet we seem so indifferent to what is happening in Mexico. I aim to overcome the wave of mediocrity I find in American activism today and inspire a self awareness and allegiance toward a civil revitalizing force, if by no other means but through the message of a Trophy artwork.
About the Artist:
David Freeman is an artist from McAllen, Texas who works in photographypainting and mixed media sculptures. He has exhibited at the International Museum of Art and Science in McAllen, TX, and has had two solo-exhibitions at the Brownsville Museum of Fine Art in Brownsville, TX. He has also completed an artist residency in China where he worked heavily in ceramics. Due to his engagement within the art community both nationally and internationally, he has been featured in The New York Times as a prevalent artist pushing his political work beyond Texas and the border-nation. Visit his work at davidmfreemanart.com
"Observing (A)trophy Life - Celebrating Our Luxury of Social, Personal and Political Addiction"
Exhibition: June 18th - July 23rd, 2016
Opening Reception: June 18th, 2016, 7pm - 11pm
David Freeman is an artist from McAllen, Texas who explores immigration, border issues and the war on drugs. He has been featured in The New York Times as a prevalent artist pushing social-political work beyond "border nations".
Observing (A)trophy Life - Celebrating Our Luxury of Social, Personal and Political Addiction is an exploration of the system of complexities found in border-nations and beyond. David Freeman creates a satirically ceremonial celebration of our populations' luxurious addictions, many of which are contradictory. Through his Trophy series, he juxtaposes the existence of drug cartels and our participation in it's survival due to our own personal addictions. His origins have thus profoundly influenced his art as he creates a context and platform for discussion on prevalent national issues. Leon will be exhibiting Freeman's series of drug cartel inspired mixed-media trophies, life sized piñatas in the image of border patrol guards and refugees, and colorful border travel photographs.
David Freeman's origins have profoundly influenced his art, as he observes that there exists a living presence of a blending of cultures and ethnicity in south Texas. His work depicts a truth within our society, which we are either not aware of, or, choose to ignore. That is one of greed, and luxury, within our personal, social and political lives. He does this ironically by creating grandiose trophies, painting them completely in gold and adorning them with such cultural and drug cartel related icons as skulls, weapons and patron saints. The appearance of luxury hides the ugly and dangerous system within which allows for the possessions of luxury to thrive. In Freeman's art, this luxury is the possession of drugs, which allows the drug cartel to continue producing and working, habitually with violent consequences.
Artist Statement:
Trophies are celebrations of victory; they are mementos to some achievement or success. My trophies, an accumulated assemblage of token trophy styles are embellished with symbols and objects collected from flea markets and yard sales in Mexico and Texas. These trophies embrace the mirroring of a reliquary concept but multi task as an acknowledgment of something that has been won in battle too. They celebrate the dark side of victory and speak of a horrific time and event that exists in my backyard. One of violence that is acted out purely to impress others in the basest acts of terrorism, the Narco- terror campaign in Mexico.
This work thus represents a system of contradictions of the identities of good and bad battling one another. These truths are mirrored in juxtapositions of contradiction. The first being the utilization of a plastic commercial process such as a trophy as a medium of fine art, full of devised icons of instant recognition and communication, presented in a lowbrow process. The second being that there exists a living presence and blending of cultures and ethnicity in south Texas, yet we seem so indifferent to what is happening in Mexico. I aim to overcome the wave of mediocrity I find in American activism today and inspire a self awareness and allegiance toward a civil revitalizing force, if by no other means but through the message of a Trophy artwork.
About the Artist:
David Freeman is an artist from McAllen, Texas who works in photographypainting and mixed media sculptures. He has exhibited at the International Museum of Art and Science in McAllen, TX, and has had two solo-exhibitions at the Brownsville Museum of Fine Art in Brownsville, TX. He has also completed an artist residency in China where he worked heavily in ceramics. Due to his engagement within the art community both nationally and internationally, he has been featured in The New York Times as a prevalent artist pushing his political work beyond Texas and the border-nation. Visit his work at davidmfreemanart.com
"Observing (A)trophy Life - Celebrating Our Luxury of Social, Personal and Political Addiction"
Works by: David Freeman
Curated by Camille Rose Shortridge
Western American Posse for the People. A phenomenal Order of Historical yet Dissimilar Expressions of Artistic and Social Considerations.
Patrol Guards Piñatas
"Western American Posse for the People. A phenomenal Order of Historical yet Dissimilar Expressions of Artistic and Social Considerations."
Patrol Guard Piñatas 73" x 22" (Guards) 71" x 50" x 22" (Mounted Guard), Available
"Western American Posse for the People. A phenomenal Order of Historical yet Dissimilar Expressions of Artistic and Social Considerations."
Patrol Guard Piñatas 73" x 22" (Guards) 71" x 50" x 22" (Mounted Guard), Available
"Western American Posse for the People. A phenomenal Order of Historical yet Dissimilar Expressions of Artistic and Social Considerations."
Mounted Guard Piñata 71" x 50" x 22", Available
"Too Many Cameras and No Justice (Small Mirror)"
19 1/2" x 14", Available
"The Orchestrated Mashup of Military And Religion"
34 1/2" x 16 1/2", Available
"Man Made Trap #1"
13" x 5", Available
"Liars and Hysterics Don't Know Who They Are Unless They Have an Audience. The Mirror is My Lens and You Are my Symbol. This Work has Now Liberated You"
"You Are To Blame" 33" x 21", "Hope" 33" x 21", "Faith" 31" x 16", "Fear " 33" x 21", Skull 25" x 14"
Available separately or as installation
"Hope"
33" x 21", Available
"Liars and Hysterics Don't Know Who They Are Unless They Have an Audience. The Mirror is My Lens and You Are my Symbol. This Work has Now Liberated You."
"You Are To Blame" 33" x 21", Available
Skull 25" x 14", Available
"Fear"
33" x 21", Available
"Fear"
33" x 21", Available
Cartel Trophies
"Trophy #6 -- Cerebus, The Guardian of the Gates of Hell"
26" x 12 1/2" w/o shelf, 33" x 17 1/2" w/shelf, Available
"Trophy #6 -- Cerebus, The Guardian of the Gates of Hell" (detail)
"Trophy #5 -- The Gestures of an Unsmiling Biblical Figure, Broken by the Banality and the Harshness of a Scorching and Horrific Light"
29" x 23" w/o shelf, 39" x 24" w/shelf, Available
"Trophy #5 -- The Gestures of an Unsmiling Biblical Figure, Broken by the Banality and the Harshness of a Scorching and Horrific Light" (detail)
"Trophy #4 -- Death Looks Brilliant All Wrapped in Gold"
25 1/2" x 13" w/o shelf, 32" x 19 1/2" w/shelf, Available
"Trophy #4 -- Death Looks Brilliant All Wrapped in Gold" (detail)
"Trophy #3 -- A Cryptic yet Precise Ritual of Confrontation Between the Designs of Good & Evil"
28 1/2" x 7 1/2" w/o shelf, 33 1/2" x 14 1/2" w/shelf, Available
"Trophy #3 -- A Cryptic yet Precise Ritual of Confrontation Between the Designs of Good & Evil" (detail)
"Trophy #3 -- A Cryptic yet Precise Ritual of Confrontation Between the Designs of Good & Evil" (detail)
"Trophy #3 -- A Cryptic yet Precise Ritual of Confrontation Between the Designs of Good & Evil" (shelf detail)
"Trophy #2 -- Immigration, Death, Cartel, Wealth, and Santa Muerte"
36 1/2" x 10 1/2" w/o shelf, 43" x 15 1/2" w/shelf, Available
"Trophy #2 -- Immigration, Death, Cartel, Wealth, and Santa Muerte" (detail)
"Trophy #2 -- Immigration, Death, Cartel, Wealth, and Santa Muerte" (detail)
"Trophy #1 -- Trophy of the History of Greed, Terror, and our Participation"
29" x 10" w/o shelf, 39" x 24" w/shelf, Available
"Trophy #1 -- Trophy of the History of Greed, Terror, and our Participation" (detail)
"Skull #2 -- Running From Tyranny Towards Freedom" (foreground)
"Liars and Hysterics Don't Know Who They Are Unless They Have An Audience. The Mirror is My Lens and You Are my Symbol. This Work has Now Liberated You" (background)
Skull #2 10" x 8 1/2" Available
"Skull #2 -- Running From Tyranny Towards Freedom"
10" x 8 1/2", Available
"Skull #2 -- Running From Tyranny Towards Freedom"
10" x 8 1/2", Available
"Skull #2 -- Running From Tyranny Towards Freedom"
10" x 8 1/2", Available
"Skull #1 -- The Markings of Pop-Up Coyote Routes"
11" x 6", Available
"Skull #1 -- The Markings of Pop-Up Coyote Routes"
11" x 6", Available
"Skull #1 -- The Markings of Pop-Up Coyote Routes"
11" x 6", Available
"Skull #3 (Suitcase) -- The Strategy of Terror and Conviction"
16 1/2" x 13", Available
"Beguiled and Bejeweled #1" (left) 18" x 16", skull 9" x 5", Available
"Staff of the Tornado of Terror" (center) 37" x 7", Available
"Beguiled and Bejeweled #2" (right) 18" x 16", skull 9" x 5", Available
"Beguiled and Bejeweled #1"
18" x 16", skull 9" x 5", Available
"Beguiled and Bejeweled #2"
18" x 16", skull 9" x 5", Available
"Staff of the Tornado of Terror"
37" x 7", Available
"Staff of the Tornado of Terror" (detail)
"Staff of the Tornado of Terror" (detail)
"Z for Zoro, Z for Zeta" (left) 27" x 33", Available
"A Ritualistic Choreography that Strangely Suggests Participating by Digging One's Own Grave" (right) 19" x 12", Available
"Winged Victory and Body Parts" (below) 13" x 10 1/2", Available
"Winged Victory and Body Parts"
13" x 10 1/2", Available
"Winged Victory and Body Parts" (detail)
"A Ritualistic Choreography that Strangely Suggests Participating by Digging One's Own Grave"
19" x 12", Available
"Z for Zoro, Z for Zeta"
27" x 33", Available
Gallery View
"Trophies and Flowers Performing for Desire and Addiction #1-5" (left)
"Liars and Hysterics Don't Know Who They Are Unless They Have an Audience. The Mirror is My Lens and You Are my Symbol. This Work has Now Liberated You" (right)
"Skulls #1-3" (below)
"Trophies and Flowers Performing for Desire and Addiction #1-5"
21 1/2" x 41 1/2" unframed, 25" x 45" framed, Available
"Trophies and Flowers Performing for Desire and Addiction #2 --Border-nation Travel Valise"
Mixed media, photographed
21 1/2" x 41 1/2" unframed, 25" x 45" framed, Available
Gallery view.
"The Symbolic Collisions of a Tragicomic Character Worth His Weight in Gold" (left)
"People Transport" (center)
"Mini Mantle from North Mexico #1 & #2" "Too Many Values Without Any Action" (right)
"Cartel Victim Catacomb" (below)
"The Symbolic Collisions of a Tragicomic Character Worth His Weight In Gold"
10ft 10" x 5ft 5", Available
"The Symbolic Collisions of a Tragicomic Character Worth His Weight in Gold" (detail)
10ft 10" x 5ft 5", Available
"The Symbolic Collisions of a Tragicomic Character Worth His Weight in Gold" (detail)
10ft 10" x 5ft 5", Available
"The Symbolic Collisions of a Tragicomic Character Worth His Weight in Gold" (detail)
10ft 10" x 5ft 5", Available
"The Symbolic Collisions of a Tragicomic Character Worth His Weight in Gold" (detail)
10ft 10" x 5ft 5", Available
"People Transport"
25" x 25", Available
"People Transport" (detail)
25" x 25", Available
"Mini Mantle from North Mexico #1" (left) 12" x 6 1/2", Available
"Too Many Values Without Any Action" (center) 27" x 19", Not Available
"Mini Mantle from North Mecixo #2" (right) 12" x 8", Available
"Mini Mantle from North Mexico #1"
12" x 6 1/2" w/o shelf, 18" x 9" w/shelf, Available
"Mini Mantle from North Mexico #2"
12" x 8" w/o shelf, 17/5" x 12" w/shelf, Available
"Monkey See, Monkey Do"
4" x 1 1/2", Not Available
"Guadalupe and the Night Lights"
Guadalupe 65" x 43", Available
Night Lights 12" x 5", Available together or separately
Installation 95" x 60", Available
"Guadalupe and the Night Lights" (detail)
Available
"Guadalupe and the Night Lights" (detail)
Available
"Guadalupe and the Night Lights" (detail)
Available
"Guadalupe and the Night Lights" (detail)
Available
"Bottled Saints" Available
"Skeleton" (center) Not Available
"Bottled Saints"
11 1/2" x 4", Available
"Cartel Victim Catacomb"
56" x 25" x 17" high, Available
"Cartel Victim Catacomb"
56" x 25" x 17" high, Available
"Man Made Trap #2"
13 1/2" x 8" x 6 1/2", Available
"Do You Have Enough Fear"
15" x 9", Not Available
"Traffic Staff (Plunger)"
25" x 6" at base, Available
Leon is open Wednesday-Friday 10-6pm + Saturday-Sunday 12-5pm.
Leon is also available as an event space Contact us for specifics and availability