William Lemon III
Parcival Versus The Sun
July 24 – August 24
Opening reception July 24, 7-9pm
* Opening performance begins promptly at 9pm

In his series Parcival Versus The Sun, Lemon continues to explore his use of traditional mediums in non-traditional applications. Informed by the antithetical forces of religious history and present day pop culture, Lemon’s work directly expands upon the original Parcival’s famed quest for the Holy Grail. Lemon creates an elaborate setting in which the re-contextualized Parcival journeys with his audience through both physical and visceral spheres of sight, sound, and smell. Lemon creates for us a modern-day gesamtkunstwerk, or total work of art.  First used to describe Wagner’s nineteenth century operas, the concept of gesamtkunstwerk was quickly appropriated by designers and artists to describe comprehensive, aestheticized environments. By keying into the musical and visual origins of gesamtkunstwerk, Lemon’s exhibition will center on an elaborate sound installation and performance surrounded by his hand-painted, silk-screened and sewn canvas tapestries.

A limited-edition book published by Eighth Veil will accompany the exhibition.

Will Lemon III works in a variety of artistic expressions including printmaking, tapestry, collage, sculpture, skin printing, 3-D installation, fashion design, and music. In 2008 he composed, “Moon & Moon: VII Acts of an Iron King,” a multi-media seven act musical about leaving religion and looking for clarity which was performed by Lemon, Devendra Banhart, Gibby Haynes of the Butthole Surfers, and Natasha Khan of Bat for Lashes. Lemon’s signature skin printing and makeup techniques have been featured in music videos for Basement Jaxx, Beck, Ebony Bones, Imaad Wasif, N.E.R.D. and Yeasayer and in fashion films for Elise Overland and Odilon. He has done makeup for Marc Jacobs, Animal Collective, Terry Richardson, Devendra Banhart, Bat for Lashes, Lady Gaga, and on projects with Jonas Akerlund, Kai Regan, M·A·C cosmetics, Matthias Vriens, Radical Friend, Richard Burbridge, Simon Henwood, and Supreme Management. Lemon recently collaborated with United Bamboo as well as Citizens of Humanity on artist series apparel.  Lemon is in the process of launching an art-based unisex apparel collection.

Lemon has exhibited across the United States in group exhibitions at Priska C. Juschka Fine Art in New York and New Image Art in Los Angeles as well as a solo show at New York’s Fuse Gallery. Will Lemon lives and works in Los Angeles.