BBC Radio Coverage of True Yank. ------------4/1/09
The BBC Manchester linked President Obama's arrival in the U.K. with the True Yank installation. Interviews with artist Leon Reid IV and Urbis currator Paul Luckraft.
Recorded 3/31/09 Click here to hear.
True Yank. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------3/31/09
"True Yank" Installation by Leon Reid IV sponsored by Urbis, Manchester 2009.
My "True Yank" Installation in Manchester, U.K. is a 150 year update of President Lincoln's gear. Homeboy needed it. Honest Abe had been standing there with decades old clothes even when the statue was made in 1919. He now has some bling to accompany his rock hard pose, and an oversized hat to represent the Yankees for which he was Commander-in-Cheif.
Although the installation looks guerilla in nature, it actually couldn't have happened without the permission and support of Manchester City council and the generous comission of Urbis. Thanks Mancs! (thats what they call Manchester people)
True Yank will be up until mid April. Urbis is giving tours of it as well. More info about tour schedules can be found here
Photos: Ian Williams
She's A Brick House. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------3/22/09
The newest monsters I've made are the little bricks that I let loose in NY a couple of years back. Some of the bricks lasted longer in the concrete jungle than others, which is the case in nature I guess. However the whole species became extinct when the white bricks disapeared. They can be seen here in Time Magazine
So without millions of years of evolution, I tried to be Godlike and create the species anew "and it was so" The new series is called "She's A Brick House" ( in edition of 20)
Despite the rigid angles of the brick I think I created a female. Hopefully...
Please contact me at: leon4th@gmail.com for inquiries.
Thanks
The Desktop Kiss. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------3/14/09
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For those who like the image of "The Kiss" above, but who never saw it in person (which is most of us, as it lasted only one hour) Now is the chance to have a physical reminder of the installation. In the ongoing fundraiser to support the international marriage process between myself and girlfreind Caroline, there is no more fitting a way to support love than to purchase a sculpture that symbolizes love.
Please contact me at: leon4th@gmail.com for inquiries.
Thanks
Blasts From the Past. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------3/8/09
I've developed a new line of sculptures inspired by my earlier works on the street. So far there are two series:
1. "This Flower Never Dies" Edition of 4, is based on the streetwork "Fleur D'acier#3" as featured above. The flowers in this series are made from forged and welded steel, lacquer and enamel. The dimensions are 4.5x5x11 in.
2. "Linksnake" Edition of 3 is based on the streetwork "Chainsnake" as featured above. The snakes in this series are made from welded chain and enamel. The dimensions are 3.5x6x12 in.
These works are still very much available. More series are soon to come
Contact: leon4th@gmail.com for inquiries.
I'll Be Home For Christmas. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------12/16/08
Leon Reid IV will Speak at Feralmade in Cincinnati.
For all those living in Cincinnati or just visiting for the holidays, please join me for an evening where I explain my behavior for the last 14 years. -in art of course!
A Lecture covering three phases of Public Art.
December 23, 2008. 7:00pm
Feralmade: 4573 Hamilton Avenue. Cincinnati, OH 45223
See you there.
Head To Philadelphia on December 9th. --11/23/08
Leon Reid IV will Speak at Space 1026 in Philadelphia.
A Lecture covering three phases of Public Art.
December 9, 2008. 7:00pm
1026 Arch Street, 2nd Floor. Philadelphia, PA 19107
e-mail: gallery@space1026.com Tel: 212-574-7630
A YANKEE IN BRITAIN. Manchester, England. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------10/7/08
Preparations for upcoming installation. Urbis, Manchester, England. 2008.
Photo courtesy: Paul Luckraft.
Without revealing too much information about this forthcoming installation I will confirm that:
1) Yes, that is a giant statue of American president Abraham Lincoln in Manchester's city center.
2) Yes, that is a big-ass New York Yankees hat being fabricated and passed around.
3) Yes, that is an oversized necklace medallion that reads "UNION"
And with that, I will post the results when this work is completes in a couple of months.
This project is sponsored by Urbis, Manchester's museum of urban culture and art. A special thanks to Urbis staff Paul Luckraft and Pollyanna Clayton-Stam for bringing me across the Pond. Barney Francis of Upper Space Gallery for providing me a place to work and eat. Janey of Maribella Cafe for feeding me. Tailors, Henrietta and Dawn for making a deadly accurate Yankees cap and Emily for getting behind the camera and recording my thoughts on and off the subject matter.
UPSTANDING CITIZEN. Brooklyn, New York. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------9/29/08
"Upstanding Citizen" Artist beside sculpture. Brooklyn, NY 2008.
Photo courtesy: Rae McGrath.
New Yorkers, head over to The Brooklynite Gallery on 334 Malcolm X Boulevard (btwn Bainbridge and Decatur: "A" train to Utica) and see a new installation. The sculpture shows an ordinary street sign obeying his own orders (No Standing Anytime) by sitting, rather than standing on the gallery ledge. Because the sculpture-figure is obeying the law, I gave him a play-on-words title: Upstanding Citizen.
Thanks to Rae McGrath, owner of Brooklynite Gallery for helping me install the sculpture despite his fear of heights. (C'mon Rae it wasn't that high!) and thanks for his gallery's continuing support of my work.
FREE AS A BIRD. Jefferson City, Missouri. -----------------------------8/17/08
"Free As A Bird" sculpture and installation process. Jefferson City, MO 2008.
Photos courtesy Johnny "O" and the Artist.
I would have never initiated a sculpture installation on a state prison unless I were convicted of a crime or commissioned to do so as a free man. Lucky for me, the latter circumstance is what brought me to Missouri's capitol, Jefferson City.
Artist Paul Notzold and museum owner Carla Steck invited me and a host of other artists to jazz-up the capitol city. The setting was to be Jefferson City State Prison, a once high-level security penitentiary that held Dr. M.L.K. assassin James Earl Ray and boxing giant Sonny Liston. The site still features the gas chambers where death-row inmates received final punishment.
In between this grim setting were a whole host of local legends involving jail riots, inmate killings and all manner of lawless mayhem. The irony -as it were- was that the event was labeled "Art Inside The Park 08" -and what a park it was!
I decided to portray the very meaning of imprisonment by creating a bird (an ageless symbol of freedom) chained to the prison guard tower. You can see that the bird is not a peaceful dove, or a bird known for its beauty such as a peacock, but rather a scavenger, a Turkey Vulture, a bird that feeds off of the demise of others. Look closely at the small American flag that flaps proudly -the U.S. is both land of the free and incarcerated.
For me, the biggest thrill was seeing the reaction of the inmates toward the installation. Every one of the prisoners that I spoke to could relate and empathize with the bird. I'd like to think that I knew the satisfaction that Johnny Cash must have had while performing at so many prisons.
A big thank you Linn State Technical College (specifically members of staff: Rick, Chris, Johnny "O" and the cafeteria lady) for giving me accommodation and turning over their resources for this project. Carla Steck and Paul Notzold for organizing the entire breadth of the event. The State of Missouri and capitol City for funding this controversial art venture. And lastly the inmate whose name I won't mention for helping me with the fine details of this sculpture. I hope for your speedy release.
COMMUNITY CREATIVITY. Gloucester, Virginia. -----------------------------------------------------8/9/08
Leon IV and children working on a community painting. Gloucester, VA 2008.
All photos courtesy Richard Welton.
At the suggestion of my aunts Marcia and Kathy, I decided to pursue a little painting event in the small town of Gloucester, Virginia where my family has had a residence for decades. A bookstore named Twice Told Tales agreed to host a book signing for The Adventures of Darius and Downey and also facilitate a community arts event geared toward children.
In preparation I painted a very basic scenic backdrop on canvass for the kids to embellish. We encouraged the children to sketch their ideas on paper before taking up the oil pastels on the canvass. It took a fair amount of salesmanship on my part to convince the kids that their drawings would help rather than hurt the canvass. However, whenever a child began to make marks on the canvass and appeared to be having allot of fun, it was easier to make the case that it would be fun for them as well.
About 12 children and adults contributed to the painting altogether and as you can see the painting has no shortage of energy.
Thanks as always to the Reid family, photographer Richard Welton who captured the moment, and Nancy Halstead owner of Twice Told Tales.
P.S. The great dynamic of being an artist is that one month you can hang off of a steel footbridge while welding a tree in place, then chill out with a band of kids doodling with crayons the next.
BRADDOCK BLOSSOM. Braddock, Pennsylvania. ------------------------------------------------------------------- 4/21/08
Leon IV and crew installing "The Braddock Blossom" Braddock PA, 2008.
All photos courtesy Antonio.
The Points Of Interest project in Braddock Pennsylvania was certainly a memorable experience. My good friends Callie (Swoon) Dana, Polina, Noah, just to name a few, were involved in a mission to bring a taste of public art to this deserted community just outside of Pittsburgh.
The success of the entire project was the non-profit organization's ability to get the entire community involved. Every artist was assigned a youth partner with whom they would work with. From a strategic standpoint, this was a very wise choice because the residents of this community, especially the youth can claim pride and responsibility with regards to their environment.
This approach to public art was such a new experience for me and proved so refreshing. As a long time graffiti and street artist I never truly experienced the connection that occurs between a work of art and the community that surrounds it. By this I mean the conversations, exchange of ideas and all manner of discourse that any serious graffiti/street artist is forced to avoid for legal issues.
Never before had I used a system of voting to determine the color of a street work. As was the case for "The Braddock Blossom", Blue was a heavy contender, however Orange captured the majority of the community's vote -so it went.
The day of installation was nerve-wracking, however not as dangerous as I thought it would be (i.e. no one fell off the bridge above) The only problem was finding a power source for the stick welder after our electricity generator proved worthless. This was when the 100ft extension cord became useful and a kind neighbor who lived closest to the bridge not only provided us the power from her home, but also understood when we had to flip the switch in her basement on three separate occasions before the tree was fully welded to the site.
A BIG thanks to Gray Welding, specifically Bernie for letting us use his metal shop, and donating the raw material to make my project happen. Thanks to Antonio for being a loyal assistant and Erin for being a great manager. Thanks to the non-profit (who has yet to use an official name) for organizing the entire event. And thanks to John, the baddest Mayor of any American town.
-L IV
"The Duty Of The 21st Century Artist" In Montreal---------3/20/08
If you are anywhere near the Montreal area and have a passing interest in creative affairs, it is highly recommended to hear "The Duty Of The 21st Century Artist" The date, time, and location is as follows:
WHEN: Thursday, March 27, 6-8PM
WHERE: Concordia University, Visual Arts Building, Room 234
The corner of Rene Levesque & Crescent. Metro: Lucien L'Allier.
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