Depart Foundation presents ‘Relax Shadeans’ an exhibition of new work by Riley O’Neill. The LA based, self-taught artist combines found objects, mementos, and mixed media to create sculptures and collages that set the scene for his misunderstood narratives. Connotations of “the West” are sprinkled throughout the work, which may reflect O’Neill’s “internal struggle with edited histories of settler colonization, attachment to place, and masculinity.”
Motifs that resemble cowboy boots, covered wagons, maps, and road signs invite viewers to entertain and justify the mimicry that runs throughout the exhibition.
In ‘Relax Shadeans,’ the stage is set, the lights are lit, and the band plays, but where have all the characters gone?
About the artist
Riley O’Neill, born 1992 in Malibu, CA, lives and works in Los Angeles, CA. He attended the Gallatin School of Individualized Study at New York University and studied Activist Design Strategies. He has exhibited works at Club Pro (Los Angeles, CA), MAK Center for Art and Architecture (Los Angeles, CA), Depart Foundation (Malibu, CA), Kimberly-Klark (Queens, NY), Steve Turner Gallery (Los Angeles, CA), and 9800 Sepulveda (Los Angeles, CA), amongst others.