Drew Leshko, ENROUTE, 16″ x 20 1/2″
Home is Where You Park It, Works by Drew Leshko at Paradigm Gallery + Studio
Paradigm Gallery + Studio, 746 South 4th Street, Philadelphia, PA, 19147, “Home Is Where You Park It” works by Drew Leshko through April 16, 2016. Closing Reception Friday, March 25th • 5:30pm – 10:00pm
Exhibition Hours
Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays • 12:00pm – 6:00pm
And 7 days a week by appointment: info@paradigm-gallery.com / (267)266-0073
All Winter long I have wished for Summer to hurry up and arrive so I could take Katy the Art Dog camping. I have all my gear still piled up in the living room from last Summer but my dream is to one day have a trailer hitched to a pick-up truck and travel across country. Nothing tastes as good as camp coffee and hot dogs made by a fire. Walking the dog through the woods is sublime as we discover rabbits, newts, flowers, mushrooms and noisy birds. When the stars fill the night sky and satellites float overhead the feeling of freedom is pure bliss. Katy is an old dog and can no longer climb the stairs to sleep with me at home but when we’re camping we get to share the air mattress, her snores and doggie dreams of chasing rabbits are a delight.
Drew Leshko, Nut Hut, 16″ x 30 1/2″
At the opening reception of Drew Leshko‘s exhibit of paper sculptures atParadigm Gallery + Studio I asked the artist where he got the inspiration to create the imaginary yet realistic trailers. He told me his Granddad had an old camper and spent many childhood Summers hanging out in the retro mobile home. The extraordinary detail of the trailers is transcendent, bringing the world of life on the road into works of art that are quintessential Americana.
“My recent experiences leave me wondering if there is the same amount of interest in this lifestyle anymore. I began to think about the RV’s that are literally rotting in lots all over our cities and countryside… the ones, sitting — rusting beyond repair at a construction site, a storage yard, or a backyard of a rural landscape — unused in a state of disrepair. These vehicles, wasting away, made me reflect on fading memories of my childhood spent camping in motorhomes and camper trailers, paired with recent trips revisiting some of these older and decaying campgrounds. I’m hoping that this series brings back memories to viewers who have had similar experiences with outdoor exploration and adventures while also creating an archive of these older body-style vehicles.” –Drew Leshko
Drew Leshko, Hid Away, 16″ x 23″
Drew Leshko‘s use of materials is masterful. Mostly made of paper, the windows have real lace curtains, balsa wood for the hitches, delicate jewelry chains mock realistic tow chains and clever license plates are designed in Photoshop. The detail is amazing with rust stains and mud on the tires, fake quilted metal panels and sporty paint jobs. The presentation is exquisite, each piece preserved in shadow boxes to last a lifetime. I don’t know if I’ll ever sell my run-down old row house and hit the road in an RV but if home is where you park it then there’s no place like home.
“Drew Leshko is a Philadelphia, Pennsylvania-based artist. Working from observation and photographs, the artist painstakingly recreates everything from building facades to campers at a 1:12 scale. The scale is familiar for some viewers as standard dollhouse spec; the treatment to Leshko’s work is widely different. The minute detail of his work includes city detritus such as dumpsters and pallets, which are commentary of the ideas of what is worth preserving. Accumulations of typically overlooked details and minutiae like acid rain deposits and rust become beautiful adornments.
Leshko’s work has been exhibited in galleries, and museums both nationally and internationally. His work is included in permanent collections including the Dean Collection (NYC), the Hosner Collection (LA), West Collection (Philadelphia), Iron State Development’s corporate collection (Hoboken), Urban Nation Museum (Berlin), and many private collections throughout the world.” –Paradigm Gallery + Studio
Thank you to Paradigm Gallery + Studio for permission to use their photographs.
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Written by DoN Brewer except where noted.
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