(February 15, 2013)

Meadows Museum presents gallery talk and Idle Warship

SHREVEPORT, LA — The Centenary Meadows Museum of Art will present Idle Warship: Works by Drék Davis beginning Saturday, February 23. The Friends of the Algur Meadows Museum will host a gallery talk with the artist and reception for the exhibit that night, 5:30 — 7:30 p.m. The event is free and open to the public.

"Idle Warship considers the topics of politics, religion, violence, race, representation, and the places where these things intersect," said Davis. "It is the fluidity of history and the pervasiveness of appropriation (a.k.a. sampling) that binds much of this work. And it is the possibility that the ubiquitous hand fan (church or otherwise) will be used as an instrument of education, while aiding in meditation and supplication, which has most intrigued me."

As a graduate student, Davis drew upon his personal experiences to create artwork that explored the phenomenon and implications of idol worship in contemporary society. These explorations continue to affect his artwork and are apparent in Idle Warship.

In his gallery installation, Davis places a combination of visual imagery within the format of four cathedral windows and a single roundel and positions these to resemble a chapel. The windows are filled with religious forms and symbols juxtaposed to secular objects and images familiar to viewers of any age.

The barrage of imagery is similar to that experienced when surfing the net. However, the works in Idle Warship incorporate emotionally charged images likely to illicit responses from viewers. Ultimately, the viewer's perspective on a variety of cultural, political, social, and religious issues will, in part, govern the response to Idle Warship.

The exhibit will be on display through March 31. For more information and hours of operation, contact the Meadows Museum of Art at 318.869.5169.