Dark Americana

Eli Ridgway Gallery is pleased to present Dark Americana, a group exhibition presented concurrently with Tom Huck: The Transformation of Brandy Baghead & Other Evil Delights.

Today America’s identity finds itself amidst a turbulent ride of “can do” attitudes battling the sinister realities of the nation’s lust for money, war, and prestige. The shameful, wasteful, and violent political practices and cultural degradation of recent years are not entirely shocking to the public; these obscenities have ingrained themselves into American culture since its conception.

Dark Americana is a survey of artists’ concerns and responses on America’s current and historical state of affairs. Across these unique perspectives runs an undercurrent of skepticism, intolerance, and criticism of cultural identity. The exhibition offers an opportunity to reflect on the nation’s complex issues — politics, economics, war, race, technology, homelessness, homophobia, a romanticized Hollywood, inflated consumer markets, our utopian forefathers, and religious fundamentalism. Dark Americana helps us remember the past and question the future.