Through the Looking-Glass: Lebo Reveals Plexiglass Painting Collection
As an artist, David “Lebo” Le Batard has never shied away from a challenge.
He’s created everything from paintings to tapestries. He’s built sculptures, designed murals, and even painted the outer hull of a full-sized cruise ship.
Lebo admits that a challenge is “something I always move towards,” and that impulse helped inspire one of his latest collections.
In this video, Lebo introduces viewers to “Through the Looking-Glass,” his collection of artwork where he paints on clear plexiglass in reverse. This technique allows him to re-explore and re-imagine some of his most iconic designs through color variations, in a similar fashion to the works of Andy Warhol and Peter Max.
David “Lebo” Le Batard
“I love painting on plexi because the drawing always comes first,” Lebo told us. “In a painting on canvas, the visible line work is the final step. But, in a painting on plexi, it’s the first step, bringing me back to my roots as draftsman and cartoonist. I’m really excited to share these works with my collectors.”
“Noble Deeds and Mighty Forces”
The transition to working on these new works was challenging—the process required Lebo to learn how to write and draw backwards. While that added a new level of technical complexity, Lebo embraced working in reverse, ultimately admitting that, “I feel like it makes me a better artist.”
“Home Sweet Home”
Lebo calls his unique style “Postmodern Cartoon Expressionism,” which draws together influences from illustration, symbology, indigenous art, calligraphy, history, and pop culture.
It all ties back to his huge interest in “ancient alchemy”—Lebo describes it as “the merging of the scientific process in pursuit of understanding the physical and metaphysical world. It’s the root of many countless sources of knowledge throughout history.”
“Amen”
Alchemical motifs make recurring appearances in this new collection as do some of Lebo’s favorite animal characters, which he often refers to as his “totems.” Owls and cats are among the artist’s most frequent subjects. The animals not only have mythological significance, but they also draw viewers in and get them engaged with Lebo’s visual storytelling.
“Born Anew When We Met You”
“Each of these works is meant to be a portal into another dimension,” Lebo says. “They’re meant to bring the viewer into a different space and time in which the viewer can really tell their own story, very similar to the story of Alice in Wonderland. That’s why I decided to call this series ‘Through the Looking-Glass.’”
If you’re interested in collecting a work from Lebo’s new plexi collection, contact our gallery consultants at (800) 521-9654 ext. 4 or sales@parkwestgallery.com.
