You are here
Leonardo Drew
At first, the works of Brooklyn based artist Leonardo Drew appear to be assemblages of found objects, but they are actually made of new material that the artist has intentionally aged and weathered through oxidation, burning and decay. He combines these weathered materials with natural materials like dirt, mud, and cotton. His works take various physical forms, from self-contained sculptures to large wall reliefs and room-sized installations, but consistently oppose the architecture that contains them, as if the accumulations of materials have taken on a life of their own. Drew is a prime example of an artist who utilizes loaded materials, with fraught connotations and cultural associations. Much of the critical interpretation of Drew's work focuses on the artist's African American identity, and how materials like hay, cotton, canvas and rope call to mind conditions of life under slavery or the degeneration associated with contemporary urban slums.
Artwork
At first, the works of Brooklyn based artist Leonardo Drew appear to be assemblages of found objects, but they are actually made of new material that the artist has intentionally aged and weathered through oxidation, burning and decay. He combines these weathered materials with natural materials like dirt, mud, and cotton. His works take various physical forms, from self-contained sculptures to large wall reliefs and room-sized installations, but consistently oppose the architecture that contains them, as if the accumulations of materials have taken on a life of their own. Drew is a prime example of an artist who utilizes loaded materials, with fraught connotations and cultural associations. Much of the critical interpretation of Drew's work focuses on the artist's African American identity, and how materials like hay, cotton, canvas and rope call to mind conditions of life under slavery or the degeneration associated with contemporary urban slums.
