Ringling's Selby Gallery Presents "Thomas Woodruff's Freak Parade" Exhibit

    Ringling's Selby Gallery Presents "Thomas Woodruff's Freak Parade" Exhibit

    December 18, 2008 - Ringling College of Art and Design and Selby Gallery present "Thomas Woodruff's Freak Parade", featuring a series of 34 large sideshow banner- like paintings of fantastic characters, bizarre animals, magical insects and strange plants by the postmodernist artist-illustrator, Thomas Woodruff.

    Working under the influence of the frescoes of Pompeii, the mind-boggling paintings of Arcimboldo, Baroque religious paintings, Victorian calligraphy and theatrical posters, fanciful parades and his wonderful imagination, Woodruff began this project in late 2000 as a reaction against the global standardization of culture. Each image has a caption, title or poem included. Written by the artist, these texts add another level of meaning to the pictures. They are deliberately subdued and darkened, and subvert the viewer’s usual response—so conditioned through advertising to image and text.

    Exhibit Schedule

    Exhibit Length: Jan. 9 – Feb. 11, 2009
    Opening reception: Friday, Jan. 9, 5-7 p.m.
    Artist’s reception & panel discussion: Thursday, Jan. 15, reception at 5:30 p.m. followed by presentation at 7 p.m.
    Director’s tour: Monday, Jan. 12, 11:30 a.m. 

     

    From left: Root Hare Float and Anatomy Boy, both paint and rhinestones on heavy rag paper.