David Leggett - Tracy Williams, Ltd.

Interview with David Leggett: – Abraham RitchieChicago, Jan. 2012 – David Leggett's work is raw, offensive, smart,funny, considered and glorious. Able to address both Lil Wayne and themajor German painters of the 1980s, Leggett levels hypocritical artworld pretensions and engages popular culture, all while paying respectto the heavyweights of art history and innovating an artistic approachthat is uniquely his own. Challenging prevailing tastes and outdatednotions of media hierarchy, Leggett makes frequent use of craft suppliesin his art using things like googly eyes, colorful felt, pom pom balls andglitter. The quirky materials belie the serious subjects that sometimesunderlie his work, topics like racism, homophobia and discrimination.I spent a recent Saturday afternoon with David Leggett talking about hiswork in his studio, while the artist was preparing for his upcomingconcurrent shows at Western Exhibitions and the Hyde Park Art Center,both of which are now on view. Like any good conversation with anartist, the topic quickly turned to issues of taste, power and preferencein the art world.David Leggett. Darkness. 2011. Felt andgoogly eyes on canvas; Courtesy of theartist