Taboo, a group show curated by Jon Beinart opens at Last Rites Gallery in NYC this Saturday, June 7th. I am delighted to have a painting included in this exhibition alongside the artwork of some of my favorite contemporary painters. Jon Beinart's statement is the best summary: “Works featured in this exhibition explore the theme unashamedly, fearlessly and sometimes with humour. Breaking the “taboo” is usually considered objectionable by society, whether it be a violation of something held sacred or a threat against traditional beliefs. In a society run riot with political correctness, this exhibition has given an exceptional group of artists a forum to challenge, surprise and even confront the public.
Each artist has been selected for their ability to express themselves imaginatively with exceptional technique and uncompromising individuality. The beinArt Surreal Art Collective is testimony to a huge international movement of figurative artists who have resisted current trends in the art world and remained true to their artistic vision.” – Jon Beinart
For this show, I am exhibiting the first of the Botanicae Amatorius paintings. I do like to obsess about the little things, so I obsessed about the framing of this piece - the gouache has to be under glass, so I finally settled on a black shadowbox frame with a deep red background panel, plus I have a nice little brass plaque for the title to give the piece the feel of a traditional botanical:
Truthfully, I do not find the Botanicae paintings as much of a taboo as they are amusing, but there are not many venues that would hang these on the wall, so without a doubt this series fits into the "taboo" category. I like this body of work and I have started the third painting, plus I have a few more studies planned out, but I digress...
The online preview of the artwork on display should be posted later this week, plus there is a nice piece about the show in Hi-Fructose.
