American patriotism will be on full display from now until November as the 2024 U.S. Presidential race is underway. For a melting pot of traditions and cultural ethnicities, the concept of American identity continues to perplex many, such as French artist Robin Kid.
The Kid, as he likes to go by, is showcasing a new solo exhibition that probes into the many faces of America at Galerie Templon‘s New York location. Filtered through a European sensibility, Searching for America presents a series of new mixed-media paintings that conflate various iconographic symbols found in pop culture, from Venom’s slithering face, half-eaten donuts, steel and raw beef, resulting in collage-style paintings, where depictions of faith are intertwined with a delirious roger rabbit next to a shiny bat with nails.
“By conjuring up feelings of uncertainty but also of our most naive hopes and dreams gathered during our formative childhood and teenage years, Robin Kid illustrates how our collective consciousness through programmed memories can serve as an allegory for History at large, addressing larger social and political issues, whether directly or abstractly,” wrote Templon in a release. “This perspective highlights the fluid and sometimes fictional nature of our understanding of the past and our expectations for the future.”
Inspired by Robert Rauschenberg’s Combines (1954-64), Kid’s wall works occupy a realm between painting and sculpture — appearing as unassuming ads the pilferage space within the mind, obtrusively becoming markers of identity and nostalgia.
Searching for America will be on view in New York until October 26, 2024.
Templon
293 10th Ave,
New York, NY 10001
