Heyd Fontenot: Business in the Front, Party in the Back January 30, 2009

HEYD FONTENOT
BUSINESS IN THE FRONT, PARTY IN THE BACK

JANUARY 30 – MARCH 11, 2009

Please join us Friday, January 30th from 8-10 p.m. as Art Palace presents Business in the Front, Party in the Back, a solo exhibition of new work by Austin-based artist Heyd Fontenot.

Artists have depicted the nude human body since ancient times. More recently, modest poses and fig-leaf campaigns have rendered the potent "nude" neutralized and neutered. Today, ten years into the 21st century, our human biological functions are still considered embarrassing, and in some cases objectionable. Yet, these inconvenient and involuntary responses are our closest connection to nature. In response to an art historical tradition of depicting the unclothed body in art and an equally complicated cultural tradition of modesty, Heyd Fontenot paints "naked people." In his signature virtuoso painting style, Fontenot updates the tradition of the nude with contemporary concerns. Themes of sexuality, morality, and desire are explored in a series of portraits that examine social politics and interpersonal relationships. Equal parts playful, erotic, and sincere, Fontenot's most recent body of work challenges the viewer to confront their own discomfort or anxiety about nudity.

Official Website: http://www.artpalacegallery.com