Simard Bilodeau Contemporary is pleased to present We Become What We Behold, a solo exhibition by Las Vegas-based American painter and sculptor, Larry Lewis (b. 1953, California) who will also be present for a short Q&A at the opening on 3/30. This exhibition is rooted in Lewis’ observation of cellular technology and its impact on societal relations. In this body of work, the viewer is confronted with his or her own reflection, entranced by a screen and locked into the “current pose” of today. Lewis questions the long-term benefits that will come from a society fixated on digital communication, offering a quote by the contemporary Canadian philosopher Marshal McLuhan which reads, “We become what we behold. We shape our tools and then our tools shape us.” With the idea of technological implants offering real-time access to boundless information looming in our future, the viewer is left to wonder how harmless and mundane these images of average citizens really are.

Larry Lewis is a master painter and sculptor who has been developing his art for over 45 years, coming from an art director background and developing into an established artist. He has traveled the world as a nomad, with the characteristic eccentricity typical of an artist. Lewis is inspired by the countries in which he has lived: USA, Costa Rica, Mexico, and Australia. The social and human conditions are at the heart of his inspiration- subjects that are in constant flux. That is why he is unable to arrive at an ultimate conclusion, as humanity continues to transform and evolve. He has been exhibited internationally in: the USA, Canada, Mexico, China, Hong Kong, Macau, Russia, and the UK, etc. His artwork can be found in prominent museum collections such as the de Young Museum in San Francisco, The Hot Springs Museum of Contemporary Art, The Coral Springs Museum of Art, The Evansville Museum of Art, as well as many important personal and corporate collections. His work was recently shown at Aqua Art Miami 2017 and Los Angeles Art Show 2018 and 2019, amongst others.

Simard Bilodeau Contemporary is a fine art gallery based in Los Angeles and Shanghai, showing contemporary painting, sculpture, and photomontage from international emerging to established artists. Since 2011, the gallery has participated in prominent art fairs, including: Art Beijing, Shanghai Art Fair, Aqua Art Miami, Los Angeles Art Show and others in Hong Kong, Macao, Palm Springs and Toronto.