A curation of suggested realities
Philadelphia, PA – Richard Watson’s “My Country, ‘Tis of Thee” is a collection of new and past works ranging from 1996-2022, showcasing Watson’s artistic career and evolution.
Featuring 25 works, “My Country, ‘Tis of Thee” utilizes historical and contemporary motifs. Paying homage to his rural heritage informed by his childhood in North Carolina, throughout the exhibition, Watson uses this as a backdrop to both appreciate the beauty of America and to also socially critique the country. Throughout his collages, Watson successfully portrays what dreams must be like, “…issues of social politics are presented with fragmented elements of “real life” collaged and collapsed, as dreams are prone to do. If connections are made, all the better. Life should remind us of our dreams.” Each collage portrays the social dichotomies that persist in American history and culture, black and white, function and dysfunction, freedom and slavery, good and evil.
Richard J. Watson, an alumnus of the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts in Philadelphia, is a multi-faceted artist who is widely recognized as a representational and collage artist. He has to his credit many public and institutional murals throughout the city of Philadelphia. As one of the most influential figures in the Philadelphia art scene, Watson is not only an artist but an educator, activist, and curator. His works are informed by his own memories and “suggested realities.”
Richard Watson’s Exhibition Opening was held on Saturday, July 9th. The exhibit is on view from July 9th, 2022 to August 20th, 2022 at Rush Arts Philadelphia Gallery, located at 4956 Old York Road, Philadelphia, PA. All works will be available for purchase by emailing rushartsphiladelphia@gmail.com.
About Rush Arts Philadelphia
Rush Arts Philadelphia’s mission is to build a community-driven art space that provides opportunities to both local artists and curators, focused on community revitalization and relevance to the people of the surrounding neighborhoods, and arts-based educational opportunities for local youth who can benefit from them the most.
SOURCE: Kennedy Robinson PR
