André Leon Gray
CV:
ANDRÉ LEON GRAY
b. 1969 Raleigh, NC; lives and works in Raleigh, NC
SELECTED SOLO EXHIBITIONS
2010 figment of the pigment, Flanders Gallery, Raleigh, NC
2009 The Audacity of Victory, Litmus Gallery, Raleigh, NC
2008 Yes Yes Y’all, M Street Gallery, Raleigh, NC
eye gumbo: revisited, Mims Gallery, North Carolina Wesleyan College, Rocky Mount, NC
2007 Versus, Litmus Gallery, Raleigh, NC
An/ahata: Requiem for Thelonious Monk, Reynolds Industries Theater Lobby, Duke University, Durham, NC
(in conjunction with Following Monk: Celebrating the 90th Anniversary of the NC Legend’s birth)
Circumventing the Pigment (remix), Leggett Theatre Gallery, Peace College, Raleigh, NC
2005 eye gumbo, DUMBO General Store & Gallery, Brooklyn, NY
2004 circumventing the pigment, Artspace, Raleigh, NC
2001 eye gumbo, Hyman Fine Arts Center, Francis Marion University, Florence, SC
2000 eye gumbo: favorite recipes, Mary Lou Williams Center for Black Culture, Duke University, Durham, NC
eye gumbo: fruits of my labor, Regional Emerging Artist in Residence Exhibition, Artspace, Raleigh, NC
1999 eye gumbo vol. v: un/seen existence, Artspace, Raleigh, NC
eye gumbo vol. iv: altered destiny, Allcott Gallery, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
eye gumbo vol. iii: pastpresentfuture, CCB Gallery, Durham Art Guild, Durham, NC
1998 Eye Gumbo Vol. II: Tomatoes, Peas & Okra, Louise Jones Brown Gallery, Duke University, Durham, NC
Eye Gumbo, Mims Gallery, North Carolina Wesleyan College, Rocky Mount, NC
SELECTED GROUP EXHIBITIONS
2011 spillage: traces, evidence and presence, Carol Jazzar Contemporary Art, Miami, FL, Curated by William Cordova
Green Hill Center for North Carolina Art, Greensboro, NC
2009 Gallery Nomads, Green Hill Center for North Carolina Art, Greensboro, NC
SparkCon PODS Art Installation on Fayetteville Street, Raleigh, NC
2008 Drips, Caps & Flicks, Golden Belt, Durham, NC
Spectrumed, Flanders Gallery, Raleigh, NC
Looking Back: Regional Emerging Artists in Residence 2000-2004, Artspace, Raleigh, NC
Be Here Monsters, Flanders 311 Gallery, Raleigh, NC
2007 Forever Lost? Long View Gallery, Raleigh, NC
2006 Elements: An Invitational Exhibition of Assemblage/Collage Works, Marty Lane Gallery, The Arts Center at the Imperial
Centre, Rocky Mount, NC
African American Culture Celebration, North Carolina Museum of History, Raleigh, NC
2005 Thresholds: Expressions of Art & Spiritual Life, Transylvania University, Lexington, Kentucky; McColl Center for
Visual Art, and Charlotte, NC; Green Hill Center for North Carolina Art, Greensboro, NC
Curated by Eleanor Heartney, Traveling exhibition, 2003 - 2006
2004 Social Justice, with Sue Coe, Leggett Theatre Gallery, Peace College, Raleigh, NC
Sculpture: Retold, Green Hill Center for North Carolina Art, Greensboro, NC
1999 Constant/Change: Statements from a New Generation of North Carolina Artists, Green Hill Center for
North Carolina Art, Greensboro, NC
1997 Lump Gallery, Raleigh, NC
MUSEUM EXHIBITIONS
2010 Green Frame, Builders of Hope Exhibition, Raleigh City Museum, Raleigh, NC
2003 eye gumbo, Manbites Dog Theatre, Durham, NC, Exhibit of the Contemporary Art Museum
BIBLIOGRAPHY
2011 Anne Tschida, " 'Traces' of what was, and what makes uswho we are," knightarts.org, March 30
2010 Amy White, “No compromises,” Independent Weekly, April 21
Dave Delcambre, “André Leon Gray’s figment of the pigment at Flanders Gallery,” ncartblog.org, April 17
Craig Jarvis, “Artful replicas to raise money for Haiti,” News & Observer, March 10
2009 Tom Patterson, “Exhibit showcases works from 6 Raleigh galleries,” Winston-Salem Journal, August 9
Courtney Wright, “artist profile: André Leon Gray,” Raleigh Downtowner Magazine, Vol. 5, Issue 1
2007 Michele Natale, “Mixed media show targets mixed messages,” The News & Observer, December 23
Ellen Sung, “Art worth the pursuit,” The News & Observer, February 2
2005 April Stroth, “Handcrafted Couture: The Mannequin Ball inspires local clothing designers, artists & fashionistas,”
Independent Weekly, November 9
2004 Tom Patterson, “Heritage in Sculpture: Issues of black identity and culture take varied forms in show at
Green Hill Center,” Winston-Salem Journal, September 26
Blue Greenberg, “Afflicting the comfortable at Artspace,” The Herald-Sun, May 23
Bronwyn Merritt, “Colomentality,” Independent Weekly, May 15
2003 Eleanor Heartney, “Thresholds: Expressions of Art & Spiritual Life,” (traveling exhibition catalogue),
Waterfront City Gallery, Charleston, SC
Max Halperen, “The Crazy Quilt: Two local artists deal with historical themes in modern ways,” Independent Weekly,
November 19
olufunke moses, “The Alchemist: André Leon Gray,” Independent Weekly, June 25
Max Halperen, “critic’s picks: max halperen on the art scene,” The News & Observer, May 9
2002 Mark W. Hornburg, “Ghetto Blaster: Raleigh artist André Leon Gray takes on mainstream media’s representations of
the African American community,” Independent Weekly, August 7
2001 Todd Fjelsted, “The New Guard: Six young visual artists bring the Triangle to ‘the edge’ this fall,” Independent Weekly,
September 5
2000 Kate Dobbs Ariail, “Fruits of His Labor,” Independent Weekly, July 12
Everett Mayo Adelman, “Celebrating the Art of the Coastal Plain,” (catalogue), North Carolina Wesleyan College,
Rocky Mount, NC
Michele Natale, “Breaking Boundaries,” Spectator, June 14
Kate Dobbs Ariail, “Telling Fortunes at Artspace,” Independent Weekly, April 12
1999 Faran Alexis Krentcil, “Eye Witness,” The Chronicle, Duke University, November 19
Tom Patterson, “Fresh Voices Join the Chorus,” Winston-Salem Journal, May 23
1998 elin o’Hara slavick, “Lump Gallery: Free expression in Jesse’s back yard,” Southern Exposure, Summer/Fall
Woody Holliman, “André Leon Gray: Eye Gumbo Vol. II: Tomatoes, Peas & Okra,” Art Papers, May/June
AWARDS, GRANTS AND RESIDENCIES
2003 Indies Triangle Arts Award, Independent Weekly, Durham, NC
2000 Regional Emerging Artist in Residence (First Recipient), Artspace, Raleigh, NC
1999 Regional Artist Project Grant, United Arts Council of Raleigh & Wake County, Raleigh, NC
LECTURES / INTERVIEWS
2010 Interview, North Carolina Museum of Art cell phone tour, Raleigh, NC
Interview, “GO-BAMA: Between Hope & Dreams,” documentary by Rahman Satti, Berlin, Germany
2009 Lecture, Art Department, Peace College, Raleigh, NC
2008 Interview, “Conversations With Cornelia,” WAUG-AM, Raleigh, NC
2007 Interview, “Monkeytime TV,” Raleigh Cable Channel 10, Raleigh, NC
Lecture, Art Department, Peace College, Raleigh, NC
2005 Interview, “Mannequin Ball Fundraiser,” WRAL-TV, Raleigh, NC
Lecture, Art Department, Peace College, Raleigh, NC
2003 Interview, “Traffic Jazz with John Bouille,” WSHA-FM, Raleigh, NC
2001 Lecture, Art Department, Francis Marion University, Florence, SC
2000 Lecture, Art Department, North Carolina Central University, Durham, NC
1999 Lecture, Art Department, Peace College, Raleigh, NC
WORK EXPERIENCE
2008 Instructor/Artist-in-Residence, Longview Middle and High School and Mary Phillips High School, Raleigh, NC
Sponsored by Visual Art Exchange for the Exchange Bin Public Art Project
2007 Instructor/Artist-in-Residence, Longview Middle and High School and Mary Phillips High School, Raleigh, NC
Sponsored by Visual Art Exchange for the Exchange Bin Public Art Project
2005 Instructor, Artspace Outreach Program, Heritage Park Community Center, Raleigh, NC
COMMISSIONS
2010 Park Pictures, Art in the Museum Park, North Carolina Museum of Art, Raleigh, NC
Builders of Hope, Raleigh, NC
2009 North Carolina Mutual Life Insurance Company, Durham, NC
COLLECTIONS
North Carolina Museum of Art, Raleigh, NC
Four Sisters Gallery Permanent Collection of Contemporary Self-Taught Art, North Carolina Wesleyan College, Rocky Mount, NC
Mary Lou Williams Center for Black Culture, Duke University, Durham, NC
EDUCATION
Self-trained artist
Biography:
André Leon Gray’s mixed media assemblages, sculptures, installations, paintings, and drawings, known to his audience as “eye gumbo,” have been exhibited throughout the Southeast. With the intention to create a dialogue among his diverse audience, André has chosen more accessible venues that emphasize education over profit. He has exhibited at the Green Hill Center for North Carolina Art in Greensboro; the Mary Lou Williams Center for Black Culture at Duke University; the North Carolina History Museum; the North Carolina Museum of Art; and was featured in the traveling exhibition "Thresholds: Expressions of Art & Spiritual Life," curated by New York art critic Eleanor Heartney, which appeared at the Waterfront City Gallery in Charleston, South Carolina; the McColl Center for Visual Art in Charlotte; and Transylvania University in Lexington, Kentucky.
André has received several honors. In 2000 he was the first artist to participate in the six-month Regional Emerging Artist in Residence program at Artspace in Raleigh, and received a Regional Artist Project Grant from the United Arts Council of Raleigh and Wake County. He also participated in the Raleigh Red Wolf Ramble public art project, and in 2003 received an Indies Triangle Arts Award for his contribution to the local art community.
In addition, his work is in public collections, including the Mary Lou Williams Center for Black Culture at Duke University, the North Carolina Museum of Art, and the Four Sisters Gallery Permanent Collection of Contemporary Self-Taught Art at North Carolina Wesleyan College in Rocky Mount.
André Leon Gray was born and raised in Raleigh, North Carolina. He is a self-trained artist and is currently represented by Flanders Art Gallery in Raleigh.
Statement:
I am an advocate for social change and spiritual growth in mind, body and soul. My artwork reflects my concern for humanity’s progression by primarily using post-consumer objects and mixed media techniques, which I call “eye gumbo,” to encourage the viewer to celebrate the beauty of ordinary things, to see the world with new eyes, and to ponder their opinions on the issues presented. Eye gumbo questions Western standards of beauty, superficial aesthetics, Old South nostalgia, black male and female identity in a consumerist culture, and the artificial social construct of racism and its impact on the human condition. Eye gumbo is a visual meal for the mind, thickened with a roux of African American culture, marinated in social commentary and seasoned with consciousness.