Assistant Professor Devan Shimoyama and Adjunct Assistant Professor Danny Ferrell present “He’s American” at the Pittsburgh Center for the Arts, Mar 31 – Jul 23.
These works examine fantasies and fears about the Other through depictions of everyday queer black and white male experiences. The paintings and sculptures contend with wobbliness of contemporary American life and shows quotidian scenes that reveal intimacies too often overlooked for gay males. Landscape unifies much of the work, as nature is a multilayered space: the topography, morphology and geology is a space where humans can project personal and quotidian drama. Consequently, this exhibition asks viewers to ponder: who deserves the American dream? Through glitzy materials and shiny surfaces, beauty becomes the parallel to the messiness of being male, but also being human.