Arts News

D*Face opens Ludovico Aversion Therapy exhibit in New York

By April MacIntyre Aug 26, 2009, 2:22 GMT

The show title Ludovico Aversion Therapy references a futuristic human behavior reconditioning treatment from Stanley Kubrick\'s 1972 "A Clockwork Orange" in which the patient’s eyelids are forced open to watch disturbing footage containing subliminal messages.

Ludovico Aversion Therapy / All Your Dreams Are Owned By Us, a solo exhibition of new original works and multiples by the London-based street artist known as D*Face returning to the Jonathan LeVine Gallery for his debut solo show in the United States; in conjunction with a site-specific, street-level installation.

The show title Ludovico Aversion Therapy references a futuristic human behavior reconditioning treatment from Stanley Kubrick's 1972 film, "A Clockwork Orange," in which the patient’s eyelids are forced open to watch disturbing footage containing subliminal messages.

D*Face is a London-based sculptor and street artist. For over ten years, his wall stencils and three dimensional urban interventions have tested public awareness and resistance when faced with visual alternatives to corruptive, persuasive commercial advertising. Reoccurring themes include: celebrity, fame, and mortality. The artist uses the term aPOPcalyptic to describe his work, which often features images of cultural icons as a commentary on conspicuous consumption in popular culture.

According to D*Face, “If you've ever wondered what goes on inside of my mind, this body of work is it.

A visual interpretation of lucid dreams—the replaying, disassembly and reconfiguring of images held in one’s mind... it's as much ‘Exquisite Corpse’ as everyday Ludovico Aversion Therapy.”

Each piece will feature a composite subject created using an amalgamation of various branded corporate identity mascots combined with classic superhero characters, interspersed with typography derived from comic book art and advertising, according to the Levine gallery.

Paintings and etchings in this exhibition feature the artist’s signature tongue-in-cheek aesthetic, known for creating two and three-dimensional work using a variety of mediums and techniques. The artist scrambles the various pieces then stacks them vertically, re-assigning features to form mismatched conglomerate faces and deliver a powerfully graphic impact.

Incorporating pop iconography with satirical commentary and anti-establishment values, D*Face questions the increasing turnover and bombardment of imagery by the media as well as how much (if any and what parts) we recall, digest and retain. Extracting elements from the endless stream of visual stimuli absorbed daily by our conscious and subconscious, the artist re-works and subverts imagery appropriated from comics, currency, corporate advertising, and cultural figures—drawing from decades of materialistic consumption in our media-saturated society.

D*Face’s early artistic inspirations include pop artists such as Lichtenstein, Haring and Warhol. Additional influences include: punk music, graffiti, skateboarding and skate magazines featuring graphic artists like Jim Philips and Pushead.

The Jonathan LeVine Gallery is located at 529 West 20th Street, New York, NY 10011. Gallery hours are Tuesday through Saturday, 11am to 6pm. For more information, please call: 212.243.3822, visit: here