Monday, October 25, 2010

Jonathan Stewart at MCBA

The gallery at Minnesota Center for Book Arts has a show that closes on Halloween, titled Prints: Now in 3D! There are a number of striking pieces in it, but the ones that captured my imagination the most were these reimagined Lego boxes by Texas screen printer Jonathan Stewart.

Lego man receiving a rejection letter
Stewart's artist statement reads: "I am primarily concerned with how history, experiences, and emotions are packaged for consumption. My boxes point toward a marketplace where these characteristics are bought and sold."

Male and female figures with pregnancy test. The box is pink
The juxtaposition of the comically shaped Lego humanoids with these examples of painfully human moments made me sad and amused at the same time.

Leaving with the Kids -- woman with young boy and baby walking away from open front door of house, man inside waving goodbye
Check out the expression on the woman's face and the man's plaintive wave. Imagine walking across the plastic yard, which grasps at your feet with each step.

Solitary Lego bestubbled figure on a bench beside two pine trees, sack of belongings, trash can titled Nowhere Else to Go
The ultimate: a homeless Lego figure.
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