Steven Labadessa's work is confrontational and raw and arises from a deep interest in stark realism. An artist talk and opening reception will be held at Gallery 406, Arts West on Monday, Feb. 11, at 5:30 p.m.
Monday, Feb. 11
Steven Labadessa, “Damnatio Memoriae”, Artist talk and Opening Reception
Gallery 406, Arts West, 5:30 p.m.
Labadessa’s painting arises from a deep interest in stark realism, which strips away the veil of vanity. His work is confrontational and raw, vivid and compulsive. In his nudes, he portrays the human figure as uncontrovertibly carnal, possessed of an almost preternaturally keen sexual awareness that is both challenging and defiant.
An excerpt of his exhibition statement follows: “I exact a preference for hyperbole (i.e., operatic) and psychological texture in my work, exploring within the confines of self-portraiture, that typically runs counter to modern western notions of beauty. Hence, figuratively and literally theatrical, friends and relations, lasting and temporary, serve as a surrogate for me, as I re-render their flesh by “compositing” my imagery from a variety of sources. Ultimately, the work, in the abstract, considers the ways in which a person or persons can take on an iconic quality in memory, at the same time they emblematize, retrospectively, a more universal human experience.”
The exhibition continues through Thursday, March 7.