Steve DeFrank "Mirror, Mirror"

Margaret Thatcher Projects

poster for Steve DeFrank "Mirror, Mirror"

This event has ended.

Populated by magical auras and graffiti-filled surfaces, Steve DeFrank’s new series of paintings in Mirror, Mirror construct an idiosyncratic realm in which everything and nothing is taken seriously. Rendered in a caricatured naturalism that is intentionally reminiscent of mass media entertainment, the paintings are playful, but in a mischievous and subversive way. While projecting an air of frivolity, they function on a deeper level, delving into the mood of life’s experiences and confronting common perceptions regarding homosexuality.

Using wood, in both its natural and by-product forms, as the common pictorial thread in this body of work, DeFrank addresses these issues beneath a disarmingly innocent veneer. Tree stumps, with at times shocking phrases carved into their bark, are surrounded by the twinkling of enchanted lights and floating bubbles; while, others possess flowing manes of hair that in a surrealist twist take on a nearly human persona. Leaves, devoured to shreds by an absent pestilence, offer in their shredded forms unexpected messages that comment ironically on their fate. Roughly hewn boards, nailed together as if covering the window of an abandoned building, attest to the change that accompanies the passing of time by recording the assorted terms, both derogatory insults and insider code words, used to connote male homosexuality.

Media

Schedule

from September 11, 2008 to October 18, 2008

Opening Reception on 2008-09-11 from 18:00 to 20:00

Artist(s)

Steve DeFrank

  • Facebook

    Reviews

    All content on this site is © their respective owner(s).
    New York Art Beat (2008) - About - Contact - Privacy - Terms of Use