Franck de las Mercedes Premieres New Work At DAM Art Gallery Exhibit

The Directed Art Modern is pleased to present new work by artists Franck de las Mercedes, B.L. Jesseph and Rob Anderson in the group exhibition .
(Monokhromos)

From the Greek word "Monokhromos" artists in the exhibit use black and white and monochromatic hues, shades and tones, likening the exhibition space to a newspaper. With the same level of importance as the printed news, each of the artworks presented examines or reports different aspects of the human condition. Known all over the world for his multifaceted body of work and public art projects, Franck de las Mercedes' work in this exhibit explores his history through his memories of childhood in war-torn Nicaragua and how they've defined, and to an extent haunt his adult artwork.

Painting with both his non-dominant hand and dominant hand, de las Mercedes switches back and forth from an adult perspective, to that of innocence, reinforcing a child-like quality in these works that not only honor heroes and victims but also emphasize a child's inability to understand, articulate and accept the harsh and often contrary world around him, juxtaposed with the experience of adulthood. Normally an artist painting in an exuberant abundance of color, de las Mercedes has silenced his jubilant colors with a series of new works that draw attention to what and who he wants to the viewer to confront and question: how we address the suffering of others.

Franck de las Mercedes is an artist living and working in Washington Heights, New York City. In 2006, de las Mercedes achieved international acclaim with his conceptual artproject The Priority Boxes" or Peace Boxes; conceived as a way to promote peace and bring contemporary art to a broader audience. FdlM is the recipient of an Outstanding Latino award, the Hearing Our Voices award and is profiled in the book titled Learning from Latino Role Models: Inspire Students through Biographies, Instructional Activities, and Creative Assignments by David Campos (Rowman & Littlefield Publishers). Named one of Complex magazine's 15 Artists About to Dominate 2015 , Franck has participated in numerous national and international exhibits including The Faberg Big Egg Hunt New York, The NY Museum of Modern Art's Abstract Currents , Sing for Hope Pianos 2017, BKLYN Designs, Naples Museum of Art, Folklore Museum of Tripotamos Greece, The National of Ireland, Ireland and The French Institute Alliance Fran aise. His art is part of private and public collections around the world, including a portrait of Francisco de Quevedo which was acquired by Fundaci n Francisco de Quevedo.