Current | Upcoming | 2007 - 2008 | Receptions
Postcard Front - Curator Statement - Artist Statement - Biography
Limbo
The New England Gallery of Latin American Art has the distinct pleasure of presenting Leo Espinosa, a promising and talented artist, in his first solo show titled LIMBO.
As an immigrant myself, I feel a personal affinity to Leo’s work, because it captures the experience of the social and psychological process of cultural adaptation. Many of us face culture shock and extreme change after immigrating, and Leo explores these issues with creativity and imagination. The works of art on display in this exhibit represent the unique journey of every immigrant who finds him or herself in a new and different environment where the realization of profound aloneness is internalized. These feelings can also be interpreted as vision, freedom, liberation, and excitement and can be comforting or discomforting as they are reflections of our individuality.
As you enter LIMBO, you will see different works symbolizing a new direction. Falling, floating figures represent the state of limbo. The works have a dreamlike quality: there is a sense of reminiscence as if the figures are not really in that environment, but are remembering, imagining, or inventing their own reality. The images embody fear, discomfort, transition, and acceptance; feelings that are autobiographical and yet are also universal reactions to change and adaptation.
LIMBO showcases the vitality and complexity of a bi-dimensional world; the unique, androgynous creations that I call ‘Limboids’ provide a view into a form of communication based on mannerisms and unconventional body language. The Limboids are subject to an all-encompassing situation, related to either an inner or outer world.
I hope the work in this show will intrigue, inspire, and at the very least, help foster a greater understanding of the dichotomy that every immigrant faces; the push and pull of how our strong roots and customs affect our perspectives as individuals in a new environment.
Sincerely,
Franz Israel
Director
