Artists (L-R) Ron Wimberly, Kevin Earley, Leon Reid IV, Brian Polite, Reggie Ross, Ollie Seeley and Patrick Seeley at the Opening of Leon Reid IV’s show in Greenpoint, Brooklyn
This past weekend, I had the pleasure of attending my friend Leon Reid IV’s solo show in Brooklyn, New York. I met Leon at Pratt Institute that I attended around the turn of the century. Unfortunately, Leon’s show was only scheduled to run for two days, and is now over.
I had to opportunity to not only meet with Leon, but several of my comrades from my days at Pratt, whom I have been friends with for almost thirty years! I think about all the things that happen in thirty years, from relationships, to children, to wars, political administrations, social movements, et cetera…
To see an artist not only continue their craft, but excel and make a living off of it was a wonderful delight.
I only took a few photos of the art, I was busy catching up with my friends. Most of Leons’ work is representational, with some that comment on our current involvement as a society with technology. Leon’s work can be whimsical and playful, but most of the work was serious and about the effects phones and digital technology have on us and the youth. The flyer for the show depicted a hand that is literally handcuffed to the phone.
The pictures I was able to take were of some the sculptures he made of loved ones and friends, made with digital printers and then painted by hand. The sculptures were distorted, elongated and compressed and that made for a unique experience viewing them from different angles. He also had a dimly lit part of the room where his large-scale paintings were hung. The paintings were usually pretty dark themselves, with bright glows from digital technology screen being the primary light sources of the paintings. I was unable to take photos of those paintings, but they also had layers of glaze over them and the pictures probably wouldn’t have done them justice, due to the way a camera catches paintings with glazes on it.
It felt good to be back at my old stomping ground, I feel like Brooklyn is a second home, and I love all of my friends and the energy felt in the city. I have a recurring dream that I am still back at Pratt Institute, drawing and painting. It was a special time in my life, and although I do not make my primary income as an artist, I still consider myself one, and I am thankful for the community that helped shape my worldview and develop my skills.
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