"A Loss of Innocence" is a solo exhibition by Costa Rican artist John Paul Fauves, Exploring hedonism and redemption and curated by the Tax Collection.
Show first opened in March at Guy Hepner Gallery NYC, and at Meir Art Gallery in Antwerp, Belgium on July 1st 2017.
John Paul Fauves:
"For me, inspiration comes in a few different forms - but I am constantly perplexed and intrigued with the human population that surrounds me on a daily basis. The inception of this theme “A Loss of innocence” stems from watching my son grow up and discover the physical and social aspects of the world. As he ages from a toddler to a young boy, I’ve held onto the idea of his naivete and his inevitable introduction to to the dangers of the world. This is why the iconic “Mickey Mouse” is used so heavily throughout the series. Viewing this symbol outside the realm of Disney makes the viewer engage with the familiar image in an unsettling and heavily abstracted background, forcing them to re-think their relationship with the beloved character.
As far as who my favorite artists are, I relate heavily with Basquiat and Matisse. I think that Basquiat was very much a loner, something I have been told my entire life. If I’m not with my family, I am happiest in my studio surrounded by paints and canvas. Matisse is who I find myself coming back to whenever I am feeling creatively stagnant. I am always amazed by how many forms he was able to practice at once, whether it be painting or sculpture, he approached his craft with such poise and dignity and created legendary artworks that would inspire and leave me in awe. Along with my paintings, I create hand - crafted masks to accompany the works, and have begun working on a series of sculptures as well, which will later be revealed and released."
Khalid (Meir Art Gallery): "For us, it really came down to doing something different and totally unique with this show, and we thought “why not put it on tour?”. Essentially, we wanted to share the works as much as possible physically, and really believe that we are bringing viewers a style that is original, and has not been seen in a long time. The first show kicked off at Guy Hepner Art Gallery in Soho, New York. Curated by The TAX Collection, this solo show attracted thousands of guests, and I really saw that there was heavy interest in John all around the world. Being based in Belgium, I thought it would be fitting for John’s show to come over and introduce his work to a European audience. The Antwerp show was the second stop of the tour, and we are headed to Paris next for the third exhibition. This show will feature new original works from John. We have 28 paintings in total, 5 visual and audio projections, and other “top secret” installations we’ll be revealing in the coming weeks."
