FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: March 16, 2015
Contact: Erica Minutella, erica@inliquid.org
(Images available upon request)
Symbolic Speech, Freedom of Expression
April 3 - May 16, 2015
featuring:
David Deakin
Johnny Everyman
Cheryl Harper
Painted Bride Art Center, 230 Vine Street, Philadelphia, PA 19106
First Friday receptions: April 3 and May 1, 5-7pm
PHILADELPHIA— InLiquid presents Symbolic Speech, Freedom of Expression, a group show featuring
the work of two artists and a collective at the Painted Bride Art Center. In light of recent world events
and the upcoming mayoral and presidential elections, InLiquid’s artist members David Deakin, Cheryl
Harper, and the collective Johnny Everyman will present works addressing political topics and themes
concerning Philadelphia and beyond through various mediums, including digital prints, painting, and
mixed media. This exhibition is part of InLiquid’s Art For Action program—an expansion of our 2013
Juvenile In Justice project (winner of the 2014 PNC Arts Alive Award for Innovation in Honor of Peggy
Amsterdam)—that uses art exhibitions as a platform for dialogue, community events, and social
awareness efforts.
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David Deakin holds a BA from Muhlenberg College and has studies at Pennsylvania Academy of the
Fine Arts, Skowhegan School of Painting & Sculpture (Skowhegan, Maine), and San Francisco City
College. He has exhibited widely in the Philadelphia and San Francisco areas, including Albright
College, Hamilton College, Muhlenberg College, Cheltenham Art Center, E.T.A.G.E. Gallery, Locks
Gallery, Wharton School, Source Gallery (San Francisco), and Post Science Fair One (San Francisco).
The main theme behind much of Deakin’s work reflects the idea of first principles—concepts such as
time, being, space, and identity. He found that how we frame those first principles to arrive at
perceptions of ourselves, our society, our culture, our history, and our planet was the most
compelling question. The works in this exhibition display Deakin’s ruminations upon the state of the
nation.
Johnny Everyman is an artist collective working under this pseudonym so as to keep anonymity in
order to provide a platform from which to communicate clear of any assumptions or political
repercussions. As Everyman states, “In a world that is haunted by dark shadows whose nefarious
actions are not well reported in the mainstream media, nor well understood in popular
consciousness, the truth that shapes our lives is hidden behind a veil of propaganda. In this situation,
to make art that is innocent of political content is to step behind that veil, to be blinded by it. But to
step out and take a stand can have its price.” This collective works and lives in the US, and uses their
art to reflect on current events, political themes, and popular culture.
Cheryl Harper grew up in upstate New York and has lived in the Philadelphia region for over 30
years. Her education includes graduate work in Art History as well as a BFA from Tyler School of Art
and a MFA from the University of Delaware. She brings her interest in biography and social issues to
her work, documenting the foibles of American politics and society through her unique artistic voice.
Harper has been included in many national and international shows, and she was a Fleisher
Challenge winner in 2008 and was awarded first prize in sculpture in Art of the State in 2008. Her
recent solo show at the James Oliver Gallery received considerable critical attention from the
"Philadelphia Inquirer," "Knight Arts," and "Art Blog."
Image: Cheryl Harper, Je suis je suis je suis, 2015. Woodcuts, linoleum cuts, stencils, acrylic paint, oil
stick on Tyvek, 48" x 120".
About InLiquid
InLiquid is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization committed to creating opportunities and
exposure for visual artists while serving as a free, online public hub for arts information in
the Philadelphia area. By providing the public with immediate access to view the portfolios
and credentials of over 270 artists and designers via the internet; through meaningful
partnerships with other cultural organizations; through community-based activities and
exhibitions; and through an extensive online body of timely art information, InLiquid brings
to light the richness of our region’s art activity, broadens audiences, and heightens
appreciation for all forms of visual culture.
Support provided in part by the Philadelphia Cultural Fund