Power Lines

16 May - 22 June 2019

Kevin Demery
Kevin Demery © Kevin Demery

Kevin Demery (b. 1992)

Based in Kansas City, USA

Instagram: @weighted_by_gold

www.kevindemery.com

Power Lines is a solo exhibition of recent work by painter and sculptor Kevin M. Demery that explores the interplay between North American history and signifiers of power. Demery develops a painterly language that invites us to move between the potent aesthetic of his work and recurring motifs of historical violence, surveillance and childhood trauma.

The exhibition is Demery's first show in Germany. Power Lines depicts a selection of eleven works - nine acrylic paintings on canvas and two pinewood sculptures - almost all of them enhanced with materials such as aluminum, conduit pipes, coins, purses, or shoes. The pieces merge the two-dimensional with the three-dimensional to form poetic snippets of history and collective reflection and range in tone from bright primary colors over pastels to black on gold.

The title of the show refers to Demery's mapping of geometric color blocks with objects hanging from ropes or chains that are draped over the canvas. Demery says, "the Power Lines series is originally inspired by seeing electrical lines used to honor deceased members of my community through the hanging of discarded shoes. The works draw on concepts of memorials through racial subjugation and use religious imagery like stained glass or chains and jute rope to replace the power lines."

Kevin Demery (b. 1992) is a 2018 MFA graduate of the School of the Art Institute of Chicago and a 2014 BFA graduate of the California College of the Arts. Since 2013, he has shown in both solo and group shows across the Unites States and in both public and private art exhibition spaces. He was most recently a participant in two artist residencies at the Bemis Center for Contemporary Arts in Omaha and the Acre Artist in Residence in Steuben.


Catalogue

Kevin Demery: Power Lines (Catalogue)

Kevin Demery - Power Lines

Demery, Kevin (Author); Dunson, Danny (Author); Hagemeier, Daniel (Editor); Matlhare, Sakhile (Author & Editor); Opoku Ware, Kwajo (Author)

This catalogue is published in conjunction with the show "Kevin Demery: Power Lines" at Sakhile&Me. It contains images of all the works in the exhibition and a selection of poems by Kevin Demery as well as review essays and an interview with the artist.


Works

Kevin Demery: Boy Looks Like a Man

Boy Looks Like a Man

Painting

2017

Coins, black beans, handbag, collage and acrylic on canvas

91,5 x 91,5 cm

36 x 36 in

Kevin Demery: Bricks

Bricks

Painting

2018

Oil stick, chalk and acrylic on canvas

91,5 x 91,5 cm

36 x 36 in

Kevin Demery: Colors Above

Colors Above

Painting

2018

Chain, leather and canvas bags, sandals, chalk and acrylic on canvas

137,2 x 137,2 cm

54 x 54 in

Kevin Demery: I Heard God Laughing

I Heard God Laughing

Sculpture (wind chime)

2018

Pine wood, conduit pipes, aluminum and acrylic

61 x 45,8 cm

24 x 18 in

Kevin Demery: I Saw It Coming

I Saw It Coming

Painting

2018

Charcoal, collage and acrylic on panel

40,5 x 40,5 cm

16 x 16 in

Kevin Demery: In Support of Your Child

In Support of Your Child

Painting

2018

Sneakers, shoestring, collage and acrylic on canvas

122 x 106,8 cm

48 x 42 in

Kevin Demery: In the Wilderness and Windfall of Our Existence

In the Wilderness and Windfall of Our Existence

Sculpture (wind chime)

2018

Pine wood, conduit pipes, aluminum and acrylic

81,2 x 45,8 cm

32 x 18 in

Kevin Demery: No Outlet

No Outlet

Painting

2018

Chain, leather bag, collage and acrylic on canvas

61 x 61 cm

24 x 24 in

Kevin Demery: Thankful for the Inheritance of the Blues

Thankful for the Inheritance of the Blues

Painting

2018

Cardboard letters, various handbags, coins, glitter, collage and acrylic on canvas

76,2 x 76,2 cm

30 x 30 in

Kevin Demery: Jumbalaya Hot Spring

Jumbalaya Hot Spring

Painting

2019

Wreath, rice, collage and acrylic on canvas

61 x 61 cm

24 x 24 in

Kevin Demery: Untitled

Untitled

Painting

2019

Rope, metal stars, coins, collage and acrylic on canvas

50,8 x 50,8 cm

20 x 20 in


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