Richard Campbell: The Fight Continues
November 5 until December 10, 2016, Richard Beaver Gallery, 408 Marcus Garvey Blvd, Brooklyn
Our Freedom, 2016.
About:
Charleston, South Carolina native and New York City ripened fine artist Leroy Campbell’s work is “...Riveting, stirring the soul and transporting the mind into the dreams of our elders…”. – Mikki Taylor
Sticking Together, 2016.
Having no formal training, Campbell’s work is inspirited with such venerated artists as Jacob Lawrence and Charles Motley infused with Gullah – Geechee roots, post Renaissance vibes of Harlem and Brooklyn, and the 1980s African cultural resurgence.
Working Blues, 2016.
Through nostalgic scenes and universal themes, he illustrates the art of storytelling using melanges of acrylic, paper, tapestries and organic materials. His work is a fusion of art and history that celebrates family and community culture and is sparked by the essence of that which connects all people. Through these archetypes, Leroy Campbell finds his creative voice and tells his visual stories. Stylized coal black figures with elongated necks and no visible eyes, silhouettes “look[ing] inward to the soul” and full lips that, “…speak for the soul even in their silence.” Amalgamated with newspaper collages as a backdrop, the images speak volumes to observers.
After Midnight, 2014.
Uninhibited and unconfined, and with an impetus to ignite spiritual and emotional sparks in the world, Campbell premiered with expressive yet single dimensional pastel smudges. He then evolves, through his patient discovery of using light and shadow, and with layers of text and texture that implicate the multilayered essences of life. His art is meant to socialize with people and provide a dialogue of inspiration. The words and imagery Leroy Campbell composes conveys a unified message which elucidates the commonalities in all of us.
