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PRESS RELEASE
Blakely Thomas Dadson
Rude Bwoy Tender
March 5 through April 16, 2005
Dunn and Brown Contemporary is pleased to be presenting recent paintings by Blakely Thomas Dadson in the artist’s inaugural solo exhibition. Dadson's first major body of work, Rude Bwoy Tender, includes twelve meticulously rendered paintings inspired by currency and historical imagery.
The large scale paintings in this series are based upon the artist’s interest in the foundations of currency both visual and historical. As each painting begins with references to a specific denomination, Dadson layers image upon image across the canvas. Depictions of battles scenes, ancient villages, ships, armor, and religious iconography blend together with images taken from popular culture within the borders of the currency. Through a complex use of color and remarkable attention to detail, these seemingly unrelated moments in time contain elements of personal value and art historical reference. Most often, these layered compositions obscure the details of the original paper currency leaving only traces of the legal tender and the suggestion of a denomination with comparable proportions.
In Reverso Five Plate, a painted border of a flipped five dollar bill contains striking images taken from a variety of sources both literal and fictional. In the distance, Dadson recreates a battle scene from Vietnam with one of the young soldiers being the artist, himself. In contrast, the foreground of the painting is offset by the Morton Salt Girl innocently strolling in the rain beneath sugary sweet white clouds resembling the frosting of a cake. The opposite corner of the painting is occupied by a mournful figure resembling a Ukranian icon from the early Middles Ages. As Dadson combines this seemingly unrelated imagery within this painting and all others in the exhibition, the artist presents visually complex scenes to the viewer open to countless interpretations.
Originally from California, Dadson received his B.F.A. from the San Francisco Art Institute, and he will complete his M.F.A. at Texas Christian University in Fort Worth, Texas in May 2005.
The opening reception, with the artist in attendance, will be on Saturday, March 5, 2005 from 6:00 pm until 8:00 pm. The exhibition will continue on through April 16, 2005. Dunn and Brown Contemporary is open to the public Tuesday through Saturday from 11:00 am until 5:00 pm and by appointment.
Please contact Sarah Stork at the gallery or via é-mail at sstork@dunnandbrown.com for additional information or to request visuals of the exhibition.