Jonathan LeVine Gallery in Dumbo Exhibits Shepard Fairey: Opening Reception, 6/21

[UPDATE: Click for opening night photos and the stink bomb incident.]

The Jonathan Levine Gallery of Chelsea is joining us in Dumbo for a month-long exhibit of Shepard Fairey’s work. The opening party is tomorrow, Thursday 6/21 7-10pm at 81 Front St. Info & RSVP list at www.jonathanlevinegallery.com/shepardfairey.

What: Jonathan LeVine Gallery in Dumbo Exhibits Shepard Fairey
When: Opening Reception, Thu, 6/21, 7-10pm; Exhibition will be on view until July 6th
Where: 81 Front Street at the corner of Washington Street, Brooklyn


Jonathan LeVine Gallery is proud to announce, E Pluribus Venom, a solo exhibit of new works by Shepard Fairey. This show will be the artist’s first solo show at Jonathan LeVine Gallery and first solo exhibit in New York. The exhibition includes a second, off-site exhibition space at 81 Front Street Street in DUMBO, Brooklyn, featuring large-scale pieces and a site-specific installation of murals on wood and canvas, transforming the space into a multi-sensory experience. Shepard Fairey’s provocative collection includes politically charged paintings, screen prints, stencils, album covers and mixed media pieces rich with metaphor, humor and seductive decorative elements.

E Pluribus Venom, which translates “out of many, poison,” is derived from E Pluribus Unum (out of many, one) an early motto adopted by the U.S. government, which appears on U.S. coins and dollar bills. For Shepard Fairey, many becoming one, or a loss of power and the influence of the individual in favor of homogeny is a symptom of a society in decline. E Pluribus Venom entails a two-fold metaphor: referring to the poison in the American system and the individuals who are motivated by venom and have anger towards this system.

The exhibition is comprised of artworks designed to scrutinize the dichotomy of symbols and methods associated with ideologies of the American Dream. Fairey’s artwork comments on underpinnings of the capitalist machine, critiquing those who support blind nationalism and war. Fairey addresses monolithic institutional authority, the role of counter culture, and independent individuals who question the cultural paradigm. Utilizing currency motifs and a Norman Rockwell aesthetic, Fairey employs the graphic language of the subjects they critique. Blending Art Nouveau, hippie, and revolutionary propaganda styles, he celebrates subjects advocating peace. His works blur the perceived barriers between propaganda and escapist decoration, political responsibility and humor with the intent of stimulating both viscerally and intellectually.

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