Reaganography, an exhibit curated by Frank Meuschke

These six artists, all of a generation who came of age during Reagan’s two terms but most not of voting age at his 1980 election, examine Reagan’s political legacy via his iconic image.

artists:

Mark Albright, Betsy Alwin Melanie Baker, Felix Esquivel Steve Locke, John O’Connor

Artist Betsy Alwin’s sculpture examines our current day volksgeist or “spirit of a nation,” revealing to us its roundabout logic and locates Reagan at its core. In the work of Felix Esquivel, we see a reborn Reagan, energized and epiphanic while preaching from President Barack Obama’s tome to “hope.” In artist Steve Locke’s drawing, we find a literalized expression of contempt for Reagan and his policies on A.I.D.S. Artist Mark Albright’s work speaks to a political awakening in the era of Iran-Contra and other scandals while artist John O’Connor marries a mutated, but iconographic, Reagan with the ideological Reagan by scripting his name in archaic military code. Artist Melanie Baker draws attention to mystery and power in her expansive drawings of former and current political icons.