In creating his compositions, Leamon Green gathers a number of source photos that capture many cultural and global references. This collection allows him to infuse his works with contemporary and historical topics that coalesce around the concept of identity. By alluding to these varying, yet familiar objects, patterns, and situations, Green’s intention is for the audience to identify with the subject and recognize the difficulty in defining identity as one specific thing.
Green’s consideration on the multidimensional nature of identity is illustrated within his more recent body of work. During an occasion when he was looking at the Uffizi Gallery museum collection online, the famous marble sculpture Wrestlers stood out. For Green, the image had triggered thoughts of this 1st century representation being a metaphor for present day race relations in this country—a metaphor reflected in his series of works of the same name.
Leamon Green earned his BFA from the Cleveland Institute of Art (Cleveland, OH) and his MFA from Temple University (Philadelphia, PA). In 2006, he was one of nine finalists named for the Hunting Art Prize. Green was awarded a Fulbright Scholar Grant in 2007 and completed his Fellowship at the University of Dar es Salaam in Tanzania from August 2007 to July 2008. His work has been featured in various institutions, including the African American Museum (Dallas, TX), the Galveston Arts Center (Galveston, TX), and George Bush Intercontinental Airport (Houston). In 2017, Green was part of group show, Steamrolled VII, 2017: A Print Odyssey, at Williams Tower (Houston). This year, he has had a solo exhibition at the Beeville Art Museum (Beeville, TX). Leamon Green currently serves as Interim Chair/Associate Professor in the Department of Visual and Performing Arts at Texas Southern University.
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