Haitian American artists Rejin Leys, one of my favorite artists, is exhibiting some of her new work, “Evolution + Connections: New drawings.” There will be a reception and artist talk on December 12, 2009, from 5-7, at the A/C Studios, 11 East 124th Street. The exhibit will be open from December 4-26 (by appointment at 347-512-9858 ). Rejin has written this about her new work:
“Evolution + Connections” was prompted by last year’s food shortages and riots in Haiti and elsewhere. The idea grew when I began to think about: how we grow food to feed to animals that we think of as food; what animals eat; the evolutionary advantage we confer on select species; and the evolutionary and other connections between humans and other animals. Children often refer to how “chickens evolved from the dinosaur” and I’m interested in the way chickens are singled out, when there are so many more connections that can be made. We learn about food chains, but on closer examination those chains turn into webs, with many layers of cooperation and competition.
The drawings too have many layers, some with more obvious narrative content than others. Ultimately each drawing evolves from the initial idea and travels a path that follows its own internal logic.
You can see some of her new work at http://rejinleys.com/
