PONY ESPRESS

February 10th to March 3rd, 2007
Curated by: Oliver Orest Tschirky

Barbara Davis Gallery proudly presents the U.S. debut of the Italian shooting star Andrea Bianconi with his Pop Art spy sculptures

Andrea Bianconi is not only a shooting pop star because he was published in some of Italy’s most respected medias or was broadcasted on nationwide TV during prime time, but also because he dresses like the American Wild West legend John Wayne. However, unlike other Western heroes, the artist is absolutely not killing for justice and freedom and therefore is not dangerous at all. In fact he is just smiling most of the time.

With his outfit and his art works Andrea Bianconi is honouring the great American history and culture. Pony Express was the name of the legendary mail service in the States. In the gallery, you discover the myth of John Wayne, a real size horse and other animals, Indian totems and public ads. All his works are colourfully painted and decorated with hundreds or thousands of pieces of cloth, bottoms, mirrors and other tailoring accessories. The sculptures can be seen as contemporary interpretations of antique monuments or as the reincarnation of Pop Art.

If you walk around the sculptures and watch their backs, you find some sort of hole in the bodies. Bianconi cut out a part of the back side, decorated it and included a binocular. Thereby, you may overtake the view of the sculpture, become even a part of it and look at other people without being seen. Of course, this is joke by Andrea Bianconi, an ironic commentary of the common habit to observe the neighbours. No doubts, Andrea Bianconi brings humorous as well as sarcastic Spaghetti or Macaroni Western made in Italy to Houston: “Welcome back, Cowboy.”