A new exhibition at Eye Level Art’s 103 Gallery will present a radically different type of exhibition to the Charleston audience. State of Shock by Fletcher Crossman imagines a time in which President Barack Obama has been assassinated, and explores the angry and sometimes violent responses to this event.
Although the images might raise a few eyebrows – some paintings include well-known public figures in skin-crawling scenarios - both the artist and the gallery are keen to emphasize that the exhibit is not politically motivated, but is rather a call for temperance in our speech and actions.
“Some of the images are fairly graphic,” artist Fletcher Crossman says, “but this is powerful, provocative work dealing with the issue of anger and its consequences, and that’s an important subject to tackle right now. I think when people see the work they’ll see beyond the controversial aspects and come away with a unique artistic experience. This show is quite unlike anything we’ve seen in Charleston.”
Crossman’s enormous paintings have addressed some edgy themes in the past, including last year’s 15 foot high female crucifixion scene at the Circular Church. But State of Shock presents Crossman’s most poignant work to date, and for the first time he uses a series of paintings to tell a story.
“State of Shock is like a graphic novel on a huge scale” Crossman says. “There are some disturbing aspects to it, but it’s been astonishing to see how the exhibition's themes have become increasingly topical. Every day we hear about the anger between Left and Right, and State of Shock simply takes that anger to its logical conclusion. It’s something I feel passionate about, and I think that passion shows in the work.”
The opening reception is at 6pm on Friday May 14th, and the theme of political anger will be continued in a panel discussion taking place at the gallery at 7pm on Wednesday June 2nd. Both events are free and open to the public.
Both Eye Level Art and the artist feel it’s important for art to play this role in the community. “There is no question that there are some challenging aspects to this work,” Crossman says, “But it is dealing with thorny issues that are splitting the country right now. And art should tackle the difficult themes, and give us a chance to consider where we are as a country. I’d invite everyone to join us for the opening – it’s going to be a real experience.”
RSVP, see pictures, video and more on our Facebook page.
View a video of this event on Youtube.
View photos from this event on Flickr.