We are very sad to report the passing of the great artist, Leroy Johnson, who was a mentor to many young artists in Philadelphia, in addition to being a maker of truth-seeking and truth-telling installations, sculpture and paintings.
Read MoreOlivia Jia visits Marginal Utility’s current two-person show, “#WEHAVENOPRESIDENT,” featuring work by Sarah McEneaney and LeRoy Johnson. Here she admires the devotional diligence of their projects and explains why all anti-Trump art is not created equal.
Read MoreMost of the works focus on the results of gentrification that continues to take place in Philadelphia, where the the displacement of people and things have transformed them all into a kind of debris. While it’s not stated overtly, the emphasis on impoverished people and forgotten neighborhoods infuses the show with political meaning. Due to its political content and focus on urban decay, debris, and poverty, you won’t find pretty views of Philadelphia.
Read MoreAlthough the theme is hardly predominant, Johnson’s work clearly touches upon the political history of African-Americans in this country. The work includes poignant scenes of death and despair in the African-American community, and suggestions of the oppression that the community has been subjected to.
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