"Acrid Dialectic: the Visual Language of LeRoy Johnson and Theodore A. Harris," a two-person exhibition of mixed-media work by two African-American artists from Philadelphia, will be on display Jan. 23 through March 2 in HUB Gallery, on the first floor of the HUB-Robeson Center, University Park. An opening reception will be held from 6 to 8 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 7, in HUB Gallery. These events are free to the public.
Johnson and Harris use visual metaphor and symbolism to construct a social commentary about race, class, and inequality that both educates and provokes the viewer. Through the use of found objects and clay, Johnson bears witness to the hard and makeshift lives that are lived in America's inner cities. Johnson's unpolished mixed media works reflect the disturbing nature of the African-American experience -- violence, ethnic stereotypes, and racism -- in a way that opens people's minds and inspires discussion across cultural boundaries.
Harris is a contemporary "confrontational collagist," who uses the power of visual arts and literature to fight against the ongoing injustice he sees in the United States. Functioning as visual poetic essays, Harris' work raises questions and reflects the reality of racism and inequality that still exists today. By re-positioning images of American symbols, like the capitol building and the American flag, with images of war, historical memories and violence against African-Americans, his collages become metaphors bursting with new meaning.