David Leggett at 65GRAND

Shannon Schmidt

George Clinton and Parliament fans, as well as tongue-in-cheek painters, are sure to stop by the alternative space 65GRAND for the current exhibition by David Leggett.  In the solo exhibition, Up for the Down Stroke, the artist combines humor, sexuality, race, popular culture and fine art references to create a refreshing approach to painting.

In the main room of the gallery, Leggett synergizes the autobiographical nature of his work with African American celebrities, the gangster machismo mentality reinforced in popular culture, and racially suspect (and/or offensive) memorabilia.  A painted glitter image of Rick Ross, the Miami rapper, greets the audience with his gold leafed shades in the painting Rick Rossing It, while self-portraits and other referential paintings populate the room.  Give My Chest Hairs a Perm—refers to the amount of cocaine consumed by Tony Montana—depicts Al Pacino from Scarface, a mountain of cocaine with a nose protruding out and a caricature of a golliwog or minstrel-like doll.  The amalgamation of images simultaneously critiques the absurd role model (drug dealer and gangster) and the multiplicity of stereotypes, while entertaining the humor of the macho front in the midst of rampant drug use.

Throughout the exhibition, nobody is immune from the artist’s autobiographical and, at times, self-deprecating humor: ex-girlfriends, painters (Jean-Michel Basquiat), Disney, and musicians (Lil’ Wayne and Michael Jackson).  Even the space, 65Grand, has a painting dedicated to a portrayal of one of its openings. Breath Like Some Thunder, a bright turquoise acrylic painting, pictures a peach faced blond spouting lightening bolts with little pellets of scattering hail in the opaque background.  The painting also contains the words “Alternative Space,” clearly referencing 65GRAND.  One of my favorites, the painting calls attention to the gallery space itself as an alternative space, the artist’s decision to show work there as well as the consumers of art and the social behavior present in art spaces.  Most of Leggett’s paintings reflect upon art, his life and the circumstances surrounding the art making.

The second smaller room of the space contains an array of works that continue his art historical references and popular culture representations.  One of the paintings, King Pleasure, characterizes Leggett wearing Jean-Michel Basquiat’s crown as he puts his hand through Basiquiat’s waist.  On the other side of Basquiat’s body, Leggett’s palm comes out paler or whiter than the rest of his body, referencing the history of Basquiat’s international popularity as the first African American painter to become an art star and his association with a very exclusive art crowd.  In King Pleasure, while donning the king’s crown, Leggett jokes about the history of painting, painters themselves, and any similarities between Basquiat and his own artistic ambitions.

In the same room, another painting called I Just Don’t Know portrays characters from the Disney version of Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs.  Within this painting, Leggett incarnates himself as vengeance raining down a storm or possible plague upon the binary characters of Snow White.  Complete with the “evil” witch who consumes parts of the storm, the cartoon images speak about the insidious and troubling nature of the fairy tale structure, where beauty, whiteness, and goodness become inextricably linked.

Throughout the exhibition, the artist emphasizes his interest in the awareness that people have of one another and how they choose to live, privately and publicly.  His approach to work unites a humorous critique of popular culture and art history with an autobiographical twist.  Although full of references, his paintings do not get bogged down with the weight of art history; instead, they celebrate the absurdity and complex aspects of painting.