Fade to Black
09/07/09 18:04 Filed in: Benedum Gallery | Davis Gallery
THIS EXHIBIT AVAILABLE FOR VIEWING IN THE DAVIS GALLERY AUGUST 7-29
FADE TO BLACK
graphite images by Ed Lewis
Sponsored by: WVU Center for Black Culture
Center for Excellence in Disabilities at WVU
Mental Health America of Monongalia County
July 10 - August 1
Opening Public Reception Friday, July 10 — 6 pm - 8 pm
1st Floor - Monongalia Arts Center
107 High Street, Morgantown, WV
This space is accessible to persons with mobility impairments
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PRESS RELEASE
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The adage goes “the pen is mightier than the sword,” but after viewing the artwork of Ed Lewis, one might conclude that the pencil is mightier still. Sponsored by the WVU Center for Black Culture, the WVU Center for Excellence in Disabilities, and Mental Health America of Monongalia County, Lewis’s exhibition entitled “Fade to Black” opens at the Monongalia Arts Center on Friday, July 10th and will run through August 1st.
Lewis, who was born in Lost Creek, West Virginia, currently resides in Morgantown after having lived in various cities, including Philadelphia, Washington DC, and Baltimore. His unique skill and works have been shaped by a condition that affects just over 7% of Americans: color blindness. Because color has no meaning to him, Lewis works primarily with shading by a #2 pencil. Years of developing his skill has led to an adept control of pressure, producing a wide scale of shading normally produced through different types of graphite; yet Lewis requires only a standard #2. Sometimes he has even used small pencils from bowling alleys.
Discussing the graphite images in “Fade to Black,” Lewis explained, “I want the audience to consider the emotion and empathize with the characters in each work. I avoid titles to keep people from preconceiving intent about the art. I want them to create their own relationship and story.”
Lewis’s background has greatly influenced his work. A self-trained artist, his work harkens to images and experiences from spending twenty years on the streets in Washington DC, Baltimore, Philidephia and Wellsville Ohio. Of his past, Lewis said that he always gravitated towards areas of large black populations and considers himself a black artist. In fact, all of his works depict black people, and his images have been hailed for their realism and inclusion of sophisticated symbolism and stories. For his future work, Lewis has taken a turn toward exploring and interpreting religious imagery in southern black culture and rural life.
The opening reception for “Fade to Black” will be Friday, July 10, 2009 from 6:00PM to 8:00PM in the Benedum Gallery of the Monongalia Arts Center. The reception is free and open to the public, and the Benedum Gallery is accessible to those with disabilities. For more information, please visit the MAC website at www.monartscenter.com or call 304-292-3325.