Stefan Stux Gallery is delighted to present a solo exhibition of David McGee, which will open to the public on
Thursday, March 31st. Well-known for his narrative paintings since the 1990's, this will be the first representation
of McGee's work with Stefan Stux Gallery.
The exhibition will consist of chosen paintings that reflect an extension of McGee's recent solo exhibition, Tetelestai:
Notebooks from the Black Sea in 2004 at DiverseWo rks in Houston, Texas. Deeply rooted with spiritual bel i e fs and
the profound influence of literature, film, and music, the exhibition was inspired by Conrad Aiken's poem Tetelestai
[also the same title for McGe e's series] which mirrors the choices and lessons one makes in the journey of l i fe .
Within this series, McGee inwardly explored the relationships that have shaped his sel f - aw a r e n e s s , as epic icons
and figures were executed onto canvas.
On display is the painting Omeros, depicting a large horse which personifies the artist and the sense of vulnerability
within his dual role, juggling to sustain the creative process within the established constraints found in the
connoisseurship of collecting within the art worl d. The painting Intellects of the 1980s, underscores the depth of
McGee's love for poetry; his homage to the history of painting; while it also journeys into his cultural ancestors, as
imagery is re-contextualized by his questions about God, mankind, love, ra c e , and various cultural stereotypes.
Another painting within the series, God In The Chocolate Factory depicts an iconic split head surrounded by
numerous shoes meant to reflect the various influences of poets, philosophers, jazz, and blues musicians who have
shaped the artist's self-perception and framed his conceptual thinking. The final painting, Ropers of Stars offers a
more quiet self-reflected investigation of the artist, as the duality of the iconic horse overshadows the hidden
woman, shaping a hidden narrative disguised in the absence of identity by the placement of a wrapped name tag
along her figure.
The new works on paper created specifically for this exhibition represents yet another extension of the artist's
exploration on the dualities embedded in cultural meanings and stereotypes.Often referred to as his own version
of “ready-mades” water color-based works contrasted by text. McGee draws distinction from text to seductive
figures and forms with repeated iconic imagery like a dunce cap and Sambo-shaped head, to a returning dog figure,
with titles like Kafka,Borges, Italians, Milton and Pyrrho. Again, the works are highly influenced by the artist's love
of film, philosophy, and literature, as the titles become puns.McGee refers to his imagery as a play on the absurdities
that have shaped cultural definitions within our global age. He says, “For me it is all about ongoing dialogue
among my peers on what really shapes us as a people as a whole.”
