Both David and I thought that Leroy's work had to be in this show. Carnivals are often popular entertainment for people going through rough times. The traveling fairs and circuses sucked money out of people who could hardly afford it. But it seems like something in them made them feel like they had to go. I think a lot of it was a desparate need to celebrate life in the face of death and try to laugh at things you are afraid of or just a desparate need to escape for a while.
LeRoy lived moved to NY in I think 1985 and lived there through the 1990's. I met him once at a gallery in Brooklyn. The reality of AIDS was inescapable and devastating. These pieces are made with collaged photo's LeRoy took himself. The online images do them no justice.
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Yeah, as soon as I saw Leroy's stuff, I knew it was a no-brainer. It was an interesting extension of my theme, and had a depth that belied the bright colors and humor. The word "carnival" literally means "farewell to meat". So there.
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