Rebus Shmebus by Louise Leong: Gallery Exhibition & Artist Reception
Louise Leong, "Rebus Shmebus Cigarette Butt"
Acrylic marker on wood panel
Rare Device is pleased to announce our April 2016 gallery exhibition Rebus Shmebus, featuring new and recent drawings by Louise Leong. Louise Leong is a printmaker and illustrator based in Santa Cruz.
The Rebus Shmebus series, named for the drawings' resemblance to rebus pictogram puzzles, is an exercise in visual boggle. This series of marker drawings on panels is a slight departure from Leong's typical printmaking process. Initially approached as studies in abstraction, these new works remain true to the playful visual repertoire that Leong is known for, pulling familiar graphic symbols from her printed works. Familiar objects such as the cigarette butt and trash ball come together in an energetic landscape of bold, black flats and crisp-edged arrows. Inspired by graphics on potato chip packaging and Max Fleischer cartoons alike, Louise Leong’s bold, playful imagery and tongue-in-cheek humor have attracted audiences of all ages. The narrative of her imagery evokes a sense of collective affinity for mischief and mystery and attempts to grasp the everlasting joy from childhood adventure that escapes us as we age. Leong's visual arsenal of characters reveals a reverence for the mundane, with a healthy sprinkling of cartoon tropes and gags.
Louise Leong received a B.A. in Printmaking, Studio Arts from University of California, Santa Cruz in 2012. Leong is a member of the Printmakers at the Tannery (PATT) at the Tannery Arts Center in Santa Cruz. In addition to exhibiting at the Tannery, Leong has also participated in group shows at Lúpulo (Santa Cruz), Art Research Office at Sentinel Printers (Santa Cruz), Pajaro Valley Arts Council (Watsonville), Arbor Café (Oakland), and Museum of Art and History (Santa Cruz). This is Leong’s first solo show in San Francisco.
Louise Leong’s Rebus Shmebus is on view at Rare Device from Friday, April 1 to Wednesday, May 3. Please join us for a reception for the artist on Friday, April 1, from 6pm-9pm at our Divisadero location (600 Divisadero Street). This reception is free and open to the public. You can RSVP on the Facebook page here.