ART GALLERY AT WILLIAM WAY LGBT CENTER DEBUTS
“PICKET FENCES” BY TEXTUAL ARTIST GERARD SILVA
Solo Exhibition Features 26 Works on Paper through April 28, 2017
“Picket Fences,” a solo exhibition by textual artist Gerard Silva, made its debut at the Art Gallery at the William Way Center on March 10 and runs through April 28, 2017.
Each of the exhibition’s 26 works on paper has been hand-printed by Silva and culled from a larger group in his “Picket Fences” series, serving a symbol of the way we choose what parts of ourselves to present to a society that makes judgements of approval or disapproval, of acceptance or rejection. While Silva strives for perfection, the hand-printing process produces slight variations that he can’t help but leave for the viewer to pass their judgements on.
“These screen prints relate to our daily lives in which we strive for acceptance; we are selective and we seek some kind of perfection in ourselves and in others,” Silva explains. “And it is this search for perfection in the many roles we all play that leads to insecurities that we have a difficult time admitting to or sharing with someone: insecurities that I’m acknowledging here. But ultimately, I am who I am. We are who we are.”
This project originated from the artist’s own frustrations and discouragement while working in his studio, often resulting in insecurities and self-doubt that spilled over into the many other roles in his life: a son, a friend, a gay man, a minority, a citizen, an outcast, a non-white, a non-black, a punk, a skeptic, a sinner, a foreigner, an American.
When pondering how he measures up, Silva’s collective work asks, “Is there a perfect state of being out there? Is the grass greener on the other side? Where is my white picket fence?”
Silva is a Philadelphia-based artist who has studied in New York, London and Arizona. His work has been shown in the Meyerson Gallery at the University of Pennsylvania, at the Kingston Gallery in Boston, at the San Diego Art Institute and at the Museo de Arte Contemporáneo de Puerto Rico. He was also included twice in the Arizona Biennial.
The William Way Center is open Monday through Friday from 11:00am -10:00pm and on Saturdays and Sundays from 12:00pm – 5:00pm. Admission to the main floor gallery is free.
The William Way LGBT Center is located at: 1315 Spruce Street, Philadelphia, PA 19107,
“PICKET FENCES” is showing the following 15” x 22” works on paper:
PERFECT
WHITE
LATINO
PRETTY
PHONY
LUCKY
ESTABLISHED
PREEMINENT
COMMERCIAL
IMPORTANT
RICH
PROMISCUOUS
OLD
EMERGING
POOR
SERIOUS
WILD
BLACK
YOUNG
MAN
FABULOUS
QUEER
FUCKED-UP
BUTCH
CONNECTED
ANGRY
Thank you to Jolyn for the content of this post.
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