Chris Leib - Night Vision

About

Night Vision is an exhibition of new paintings by Chris Leib . These paintings are a continuation of his series of royal astronauts, begun in 2012. Opening reception: Saturday, November 25th, 6 - 9pm. Drinks will be provided by our friends at Better Beer and Malocchio. This exhibition will run from November 26th - December 17th and will coincide with Sarah Dolby's Lullabies In The Garden Of Calamity , Julian Clavijo's Back To Being and Zoë Rayne's Of Blood And Honey . Night Vision at its root is about power and surveillance. It is a collision of heroic themes and state (royal) portraiture. The heroic is redefined against a backdrop of state intrusion. Anachronistic royal travelers watch over their realm in panopticon fashion. The astronaut represents the highest achievements of humankind, but in these paintings, the astronauts’ helmets are faceless, with dark reflective visors like a camera lens or eye pupil. What the astronaut is taking in visually is unknown to the viewer, setting up a contrast between blindness and camera-like intake and suggesting twilight (crepuscular) and nocturnal hunting for “enemies.” Night vision is associated with predatory behavior, and here the upper hand in knowledge and movement provides an advantageous position of predator over prey. State (royal) portraiture was the promotion of statesmanship, projection of power—propaganda. The subjects appear bejeweled and otherworldly and untouchable, above the citizenry. The jewelry and patterns were symbolic in royal portraits. Like in those portraits, Leib sometimes uses jewels and patterns to create codifications and ciphers, puzzles to add another layer to the narrative of the paintings. The paintings also reference various figures of mythology and folklore that involve power, civilization, etc. Blending classical and contemporary themes, Leib hopes to create a sense of timelessness that speaks to the nature and dynamic of power. Chris Leib is an American artist from California, USA. He bega