Leo Fitzpatrick's Text Paintings at National Exemplar Gallery Explore Poetry and Memory

From January 7 to February 22, 2014, Leo Fitzpatrick showcased a solo exhibition of monochromatic text paintings at the National Exemplar Gallery in New York. The exhibition included simple canvases featuring black capital letters drawn from his poems and diaries dating back to when he was eight years old. Unlike artists such as Christopher Wool, Fitzpatrick's work is more straightforward and respectful of text. The pieces evoke the familiarity of 12-point Arial on A4 paper, steering clear of excessive design. Among the highlighted works are 'NEVER AGAIN,' 'AGAIN,' and 'I WAS/IN LOVE/WITH YOU/UNTIL YOU/LEFT WITH/HIM,' with intentional misspellings introducing a darker tone. Fitzpatrick, recognized for his role in Larry Clark's 1995 film Kids, is also celebrated for his poetry and word collages. The gallery, located at 381 Broadway, was open Thursday through Sunday from 2 to 7 PM.