Ron Laboray: Pretty Power
AOC F58 Galleria Bruno Lisi, Rome is pleased to present Pretty Power, an exhibition of new work by Ron Laboray curated by IKT Member Camilla Boemio. The exhibition—which features three unique, large-scale layered drawings and a series of animated music videos created concurrently with the Pretty Power series, complementing the pop cultural musical references in the drawings—marks a new direction in the artist’s practice.
Pretty Power will be on view from December 2 through December 20, 2024. An opening reception will be held on Monday, December 2, from 6 to 8 PM.
Laboray’s Pretty Power series reflects his ongoing exploration of what connects us. The series includes three large-scale, layered drawings that delve into the complex relationship between power and beauty. Historical events, cultural icons, natural wonders, and traditional symbols associated with these dual themes are juxtaposed in each piece, represented through realistically rendered images and abstract fields of color.
Viewers will encounter references such as Shirley Muldowney’s victory as the first American woman drag racing champion, the national flowers of G12 countries, a gemstone-cutting diagram, and cultural artifacts linked to musical icons Kurt Cobain and Syd Barrett. A clear plastic drop cloth serves as the canvas, allowing for a transparent surface that is worked on both sides—black permanent marker on one side and paint on the other. This transparency metaphorically evokes the layered nature of popular culture. The clear plastic also creates a visual timeline, with the most recent events appearing at the top of the composition and older ones in the background, though the orientation may sometimes be reversed.
The result is a constellation-like timeline that invites reflection and celebrates cultural moments. Like stars in the night sky, each subject within the composition is separated by time and distance, yet compressed into a unified whole within the drawing.