American Icons, a recent solo exhibition by Hernando Alzate was nothing new under the sun. But that isn’t saying much. What is new these days? All forms of creation rely heavily on the work made before it. However, what American Icons lacked in new ideas, it made up for with visually stimulating images and an in depth process that if anything is a technical achievement. In one piece, he’ll evoke the pop masters of the past, Warhol and Lichtenstein. In another he nods to the pop master of the present, check out his Mr. Brainwash nod in the above image.
While strolling through Coconut Grove, Miami’s equivalent to New York’s East Village, we came across Cristina Chacon Gallery. Inside, were about 12 pieces that included imagery from classic pop figures like Frank Sinatra, Muhamad Ali, John F. Kennedy and more. Even Mr. Brainwash’s now iconic image of Madonna, from her 2009 greatest hits compilation Celebration, shows up in one of my favorite pieces in the show.
While true to form, most Neo-Pop artists include pop fixtures of today’s scene, including themselves, see Fahamu Pecou, Hernando focuses on pop culture fixtures of the past. American Icons uses Neo Pop elements to, in his words, “revive the emotional experiences connected to legendary figures of our recent history.”
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GREATeclectic aka Kendrick Daye is a DJ, artist and the Editor of Art Nouveau Magazine. As a freelance journalist and photographer his work has been featured in the NY Times Magazine, Ebony Magazine, Upscale Magazine, Creative Loafing, Honeymag.com & Yo-Raps.com.
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