HYMN 1

IN 2004, HELMUT LANG PRINTED THE WORD COWBOY IN REVERSE ON THE INSIDE OF A CLASSIC WHITE COTTON T-SHIRT. THE GARMENT SEEMED TO SUGGEST WHOEVER WAS TO EMBODY IT IS IN FACT A COWBOY. THIS SEEMINGLY INNOCUOUS T-SHIRT TOOK ON LOADED ISSUES OF IDENTITY AND MYTH AND SERVES AS INSPIRATION FOR THIS EXHIBITION OF SEVEN ARTISTS, INCLUDING TURIYA ADKINS, AMERICAN ARTIST, AWOL ERIZKU, DEVIN B. JOHNSON, JUSTEN LEROY,DANIEL OBASI, AND QUAY QUINN WOLF. NEARLY TWENTY YEARS LATER, IT TRIGGERS A NEW CONVERSATION, AS THE ARTISTS RESPOND TO THEIR OWN IDEAS OF THE COWBOY IN IMAGE, SCULPTURE, INSTALLATION, SOUND AND PAINT. THE WORKS ON VIEW CONSIDER THE HISTORICAL AND CONTEMPORARY SIGNIFICANCE OF THIS EVER SHIFTING CULTURAL ICON.