Brian Andrew Whiteley “Trump Tombstone”

Brooklyn Fire Proof

poster for Brian Andrew Whiteley “Trump Tombstone”

This event has ended.

Following in-depth interrogations by both the NYPD and Secret Service, Brooklyn-based visual artist Brian Andrew Whiteley is proud to announce the first public viewing of his “Trump Tombstone” since its recent release from NYPD custody. The solo exhibition and its related programming will be presented at Brooklyn Fire Proof (119 Ingraham Street, Bushwick) by Christopher Stout Gallery.

The 500-pound Legacy Stone, covertly placed in Central Park around 4 a.m. on Easter Sunday (March 27), came into the public eye via an early-morning jogger’s Instagram post. The stone read “Made America Hate Again” and bore the name “Trump, Donald J.” in sharp letters. Though it was removed in fewer than three hours, the work received viral media attention, followed by an extensive criminal investigation. While images of the worked rapidly circulated on social media and as police searched for the “perpetrator,” the artist remained at large for nearly two months, taunting investigators with anonymous television, print, and online interviews. With Trump’s birth year but an open-ended death date, Whiteley anonymously affirmed the work to the New York Times as not as a death threat but rather a message to Trump that at that point (April), there was still time for the candidate to alter his legacy.

Legacy Stone was one of the earliest viral artworks created in response to the unprecedented nature of the 2016 Republican candidacy, and the piece has taken on expanded resonance alongside the progression of Trump’s campaign.

The upcoming exhibition will feature the original Legacy Stone; a limited edition 36” x 24” digital c-print of the iconic image taken in Sheep Meadow, Central Park by art photographer Ventiko (a.k.a. Dexter Dean); and a limited edition grave rubbing print of the actual stone, created in collaboration with master printer James Stroud of Center Street Studio.

Brian Andrew Whiteley is a Brooklyn-based artist creating works that incorporate sculpture, video, new media and performance. He has a unique knack at developing narratives around his work that create a frenzy in the media and the general public at large. He fully immerses himself into each project, participating in unique situations with a goal of achieving “honest” documentation. His large-scale projects manifest themselves as interactive installations, incorporating several forms of media.

His work has been shown at experimental venues and larger institutions, including: The Invisible Dog, NYC; The Wassaic Project, Wassaic, NY; Spring / Break Art Show, NY; Zolla Lieberman Gallery, Chicago; Bushwick Open Studios, NYC; and Bakehouse Art Center, Miami. Recent projects have garnered press from the New York Times, The NY Daily News, Village Voice, Daily Mail UK, Gothamist, Brooklyn Magazine, Art Net, Time, Esquire, GQ, Fox, ABC, NBC and NY Magazine, among many others.

Media

Schedule

from September 23, 2016 to October 09, 2016
Hours: Thursday - Sunday, Noon-6 pm.

Opening Reception on 2016-09-23 from 18:00 to 22:00

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