Culture Making

AMERICAN DEMONIC

Curated by Eve Biddle at Davidson Gallery, NYC 2010 

Artists include: John Delk, Kelly Goff, Masha Lifshin, Las Hermanas Iglesias, Lisa Iglesias, Sarah Hardesty, Eliza Myrie, Matthew Watson, & William Wiley

The emblems of American society reflect a new animism that we worship both knowingly and unawares: Money, Multi-Culturalism, TV, Security, Machismo, Violence, Technology, Progress — among so many other gods. American demons give us strength but whether we let them control us, attempt to exorcise them, or simply don't realize their power, our relationship with them is manic and reflects our collective struggle with American identity. American Demonic presents nine artists whose works illustrate and harness these spirits. By illuminating what hides in the shadows of American consciousness, perhaps we can position ourselves for a confrontation with our demons.

An artwork made to resemble a flip book featuring a black woman with a pained expression in multiple.
Untitled (Flip), Eliza Myrie, 2010, photocopy on paper, fan, 11x8x4 inches
An artwork comprised of an American flag hung vertically and dipped in red paint to resemble blood.
Flag, John Delk, 2008, flag and candy apple syrup
An artwork depicting two large birds of prey in black and white with strings from their wings.
Depart, Sarah Hardesty

John Delk presents iconic American objects repurposed and resurfaced: an American flag dipped in candy apple syrup traps our most emblematic symbol in viscous kitsch; a universal remote cast in lead deadens our ability to consume. Masha Lifshin distills real estate browsing into a web-based work of art, toying with aspirations of money and status. The manipulation of advertising has been further perverted, revealing a base simplification of what we deem compelling. In a political climate rife with shovel-ready projects, Kelly Goff's exploration of beauty, futility, and machismo in the essential world of construction calls on us to question our ambitions of safety and progress. Of Dominican and Norwegian roots, Las Hermanas Iglesias created Everybody Likes to Dance, a multicultural mash-up exploring both their mixed heritage and their protean relationship to it. Las Hermanas invite viewers to join in the dance under a sky of custom disco balls reminiscent of an American high school prom. Lisa Iglesias represents the American spirit in her Rodeo Series by acknowledging the cultural iconography of bucking horses and bulls. Isolated from their context, they become grotesque, and separate from their romantic mythology. Sarah Hardesty's fragile installation shows the modularity and ephemeral nature of how we relate to our demons. The relationship is tenuous, vulnerable and, when broken, capable of surviving by rearranging into something new.

Eliza Myrie examines race, sex, class, and politics through a filter that is neither righteous nor expository. Her work is evocative but not didactic, allowing the viewer to confront socially pervasive issues with which we are often unable to cope. Matthew Watson subverts the technique and craftsmanship of the Old Masters in his hyper-realistic portraits of transients. The obsessive skill and detail awe the viewer, imbuing the subject matter with an eerie care, elevating them to aspiration. William Wiley reminds us that even in the constant and consistent tragedy of war and politics, there is humor. Thank god, or whatever demon possesses you today.

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Geoffrey Biddle Photography

Black and white photograph of a boxer, head down, shadow boxing in profile.
An artwork featuring photo manipulation of a plant, geometric grid, and hot pink and orange oversaturated color.

© Eve Biddle 2019