Grotesque Histories
Rotunda Gallery
Brooklyn Misc.
33 Clinton Street, 718-855-7882
July 2 - August 8, 2008
Opening: Wednesday, July 2, 7 - 9PM
Web Site
Image
Miguel Luciano, Barceloneta Bunnies, 2007, Acrylic on canvas, 72 × 72 in. . Courtesy of the artist.Curated by Elizabeth Ferrer and Baseera Khan
Grotesque Histories presents the work of three artists — Enrique Chagoya, Aaron Johnson, and Miguel Luciano — who deploy iconographies based in history, both ancient and recent, to address the current world condition. Each artist projects a distinct visual style, but all draw upon grotesque visual forms to express pointed, often passionate statements about recent history and political memory. Relying on recognizable allusions to activate the collective consciousness of their audiences, these artists reconstruct identifiable signs of popular culture and mass media to draw attention to the absurdities of history, politics, religion, and society.