B210906173552 001 1j KW5 T

Sing Plunder, Think Gentle Damage, Maintain Tomorrow, Et al.

Tony Lewis

日期
11.10.2021 | 17.11.2021
画廊
London
文件
PRESS RELEASE
FLOORPLAN
Vlcsnap 2023 06 21 00h07m23s703

MASSIMODECARLO is pleased to present “Sing Plunder, Think Gentle Damage, Maintain Tomorrow, Et Al.” premiering new artworks by the Chicago-based artist Tony Lewis (Los Angeles, USA, 1986). For this exhibition, the artist is presenting a new body of eleven new drawings.

Tony Lewis’ practice focuses on the convergence of semiotics, abstraction and drawing: graphite pencil and paper are the mediums the artist uses to trace and create linguistic narratives and reflections on gestural expression. Lewis uses a dynamic shorthand gesture to merge selected text fragments and words with drawing that stratifies the page with a mysterious code as a sort of meaningful and textured map. These text drawings are a journey through the basic roots levels of drawing involving shape, line, color, language and getting to a place where all those things can happen at once. The gestural lines appear as abstract mark-making to those unable to read stenographic script. However, each word in this series delineates a message about race, power, and communication, often referencing historical facts or situations. In dismantling language and undermining its authority, Lewis exposes the inequities and inadequacy of existing linguistic and power structures.

These works are made with materials which the artist has mastered with years of experimental and intense use, such as the pencil, graphite, rubber cement, and paper. The series is built over days or weeks, layering stages of creation and intervention.

The drawing “Tomorrow” exemplifies Lewis' creative process. It has explicit and opaque meanings, since the word at once can trigger universal feelings of the perpetual unknown - something always just out of reach, as well as elicit specific feelings of hope or fear in relation to the future.

“Totally” exemplifies the artist’s reflection upon the concept of freedom of disjunctive language providing that formal power within a smaller drawing.

“Sing” and “Think” present the artist’s signature glyph alphabet, influenced by his fascination for stenography. Each drawing starts with a graphite symbol which is the foundation of his biomorphic compositions.

The exhibition is accompanied by some exclusive content, including a selection of words by the artist, to be found on our Instagram account @massimodecarlogallery

Tony Lewis

托尼·刘易斯 1986 年出生于洛杉矶。 他目前在芝加哥生活和工作。


刘易斯的实践侧重于符号学和语言之间的关系,以应对种族、权力、交流和劳工等社会和政治话题。 刘易斯使用石墨、铅笔和纸进行绘画,艺术家使用这些媒介来追踪和发展抽象叙事以及对手势概念的反思。 通过突破绘画的界限和抽象的可能性,他扩展了语言“材料”的使用。 正如赫希霍恩博物馆馆长 Melissa Chiu 所言:“刘易斯通过形成独特的视觉语汇,将诗歌和文本与抽象属性融为一体,迅速在当代艺术界站稳了脚跟,他的单色绘画取材于各种视觉和书面来源 ,从个人到政治。 他通过分离、重新排列和删除文本,改变了我们在语言中移动的方式,从而开辟了新的、意想不到的阅读方式。


刘易斯参加了 2014 年在纽约惠特尼美国艺术博物馆举办的惠特尼双年展,并获得了布兰代斯大学罗斯艺术博物馆 2017-2018 年露丝·安和内森·珀尔穆特驻场艺术家奖 ,马萨诸塞州沃尔瑟姆

Tony Lewis Portrait 3 m7 In0y