SUMMER FREE FOR ALL EVENT
“Trash Talking’ is an art show with 100+ life-size replicas of politically-charged objects by Michael Leavitt. At once brutal and fun, these vibrant and visceral pop-art pieces skewer American consumer culture and throw a bright light on toxicity and waste. This work will be available at TrashTalkingArt.com and installed physically in an old corner store detailed below.
July 6 - August 18, 2024
Brick & mortar hours Thur - Sat 12 - 5pm
Reception Party 2 - 8p, Saturday July 13, 2024
July 13 party hosts trivia games to win free prizes, free drinks, junk food, and take-away art stocked to buy off the shelf. Admission is free for all ages to attend the reception and during gallery hours July 6 to August 18. Art is available to purchase from the gallery and online shop. With limited hours, arrive early in advance of a large expected crowd for the July 13 reception party.
“Leavitt has somehow managed to distill complex, of-the-moment narratives about ecology, violence and distraction in these staggering objects. The meaning in this work is as layered as the glue and cardboard itself. The cleverness hits first, buzzy and delightful. But as the pieces sink in, they feel like a gut punch—their modest simplicity giving way to monstrous implications.”
- Leah Baltus, City Arts
“I first encountered Michael Leavitt’s work at a crowded Seattle art bar in May of 2003. The display was so convincing that I was puzzled by their price—though modestly priced in comparison to the pretentious artworks in the upscale galleries we’d just visited, Leavitt’s appropriation of vintage toy packaging made them virtually indistinguishable from the real thing. While Leavitt’s work has evolved in both concept and execution, it maintains its early utilitarian appeal—though now it is unlikely to be mistaken for novelties.”
- Larry Reid, Fantagraphics
TRIGGER WARNING: This art may contain sensitive material, including but not limited to: gun control, mass shootings, childhood obesity, drug addiction, fossil fuel depletion, collective trauma, excess consumption and rampant outsourcing. Experience this material at your own risk.