I’m putting together two proposals for a solo show, this is one of the proposals:
( cover: The Resurrection of the Father , 2013)
The Thinking Reed: From the Hermitage to the Underworld, the Quest for Gnosis.
“Man is only a reed, the weakest in nature, but he is a thinking reed. There is no need for the whole universe to take up arms to crush him: a vapor, a drop of water is enough to kill him. But even if the universe were to crush him, man would still be nobler than his slayer, because he knows that he is dying and the advantage the universe has over him. The universe knows none of this.
Thus all our dignity consists in thought. It is on thought that we must depend for our recovery, not on space and time , which we could never fill. Let us then strive to think well; that is the basic principal of morality.”
Pascal, Pensées
This dignity is our greatest gift and our harshest burden, this awareness of how absurd our very existence is. Bird, beast or fish are oblivious to their insignificance ; we alone must confront this existential dilemma . We are left to comprehend this miracle we have been given, a gift given with the cruel understanding that it endures for only the blink of a god’s eye. We must then live this life fully , and as Pascal demands, ponder deeply and “strive to think well”
It is this Thinking Reed which I wish to examine with this body of work. Begun in 2013, it consists of drawings, relief prints, watercolor and oil paintings, drawn from a number of sources: the Popol vuh of the Quiche Maya to Flaubert’s Temptation of St.Anthony. These narratives are re-examined through a queer prism , reclaiming the canon as a gay man living in the 21st century. Of varying sizes they depict a quest for “think(ing) well”, a search for gnosis -self knowledge.
The collection will include approximately 10 -12 pieces, work I envision hung salon style; in the ideal world, against a rich background (I will need to ponder the logistics of that desire). As per gallery preference, ultimately I leave that up to the jurors and the gallery, however the Center Room might prove an intimate setting well suited to the intricacy of the work. Much of the work is completed and ready to be hung; in the instance of enclosed drawings, they may be translated into a painting, a tradition which is part of my studio practice.
The works are as follows:
1- Cover: Resurrection of the Father
2013
watercolor on paper
18 by 24 inches
2- Gnosis…& the Old Gods Were Pleased
2014
oil on canvas
24 by 48 inches
3- Genesis
2014
oil on canvas
30 by 40 inches
4- Seizing Sanctimonium
2016
oil on canvas
40 by 56 inches
5- The Temptation of St. Anthony of the Desert
2013
oil on canvas
36 by 48 inches
6- The Temptation of St. Anthony of the Desert
2015
acrylic on paper
11 by 14 inches
7- The Apotheosis of Sophia
2014
oil on masonite panel
18 by 24 inches
8- Jonah
2016
oil in panel
8 by 10 inches
9- Herakles and Telephus
2015
watercolor and graphite on paper
9 by 12 inches
10- The Temptation of St. Anthony (of the Desert) at the Baths of St. Mark
2016
sanguine pencil on toned paper
18 by 24”
11- The Temptation of St. Anthony of the Desert (or , The Betrayal of the Pig)
2016
graphite and colored pencil on paper
18 by 24 inches
My second proposal is more conceptual and I would rather keep it under wraps until it comes to fruition. This one however consists of work I have posted before.
Wish me well.
LG
Boondocks Babylon 
Wishing you all the very best for these proposals Leonard. Seeing these images grouped together here, images that i’ve come to know and love over recent months, I’m just knocked out by what a powerful body of work you’ve created in the last couple of years. These paintings give off a fiery passion, what an exhibition they would make!
Thank you , just getting the proposals together is proving more harrowing than the making I fear !
I hope the jurors are as receptive as you are .
LG
These works are glorious and would make any exhibition superb to attend (why, oh why, can’t I get out of the South…). I am especially pleased with Herakles and Tephelus; I had not seen that little bunny-man and the harpie before, and they’ve made my day. Several of these are recent favorites, of course….
Go Forth!!! Make Shows!!!
😀
You are a sweetie, happy you like the bunny man, I do too😈🐰.
Hoping , if that is really what you desire , you get out of the South. I only lived briefly in what many Southerners do not even consider the real South, that is Virginia. I loved it, physically and architecturally beautiful . But hope you find what you seek my friend . In the meantime keep making!