Dan Tague (b. 1974) is an artist whose work relentlessly addresses power structures in contemporary society. He is one of the most visible artists breaking through to international recognition from a post-Katrina New Orleans. Tague's work points to inadequacies in government policy toward education, environmental health, and financial reform and unapologetically stresses the zero sum nature of greed and neglect.
He incorporates dollar bills, screen prints, sound, video, propaganda poster art, and other media to create works of visual riddles and social commentary. Flipping imagery and transforming rallying cries and religious rhetoric, much of his work comes from his survivalist experience in New Orleans through several disasters. Post-hurricane, his home, like many other Americans, was destroyed; all belongings lost. Since this time, he has witnessed environmental justice and education reform take a back seat to corporate greed, frenzied consumerism, and apathy.
His project, the U.S. Department of Civil Obedience, was a bedrock installation at the Contemporary Arts Center for the most recent Prospect.2.New Orleans, a new U.S. Biennial organized by Dan Cameron for internationally recognized artists including Sophie Calle, Nick Cave, William Eggleston, William Pope.L and more.
Tague's work is in the collection of the Whitney Museum of Art, the Weisman Foundation, the West Collection, and numerous private collections. His work has been used in conjunction with The Spirit Initiative, The Clinton Bush Fund for Haiti, Help USA, and Teach for America. He has been featured or reviewed in "Raw: A collection of Photographs from Classic to Contemporary Art" (Tectum Publishing), Art in America, Russian Esquire, British Vogue, the New Yorker, Neon Magazine (Munich), Mondo Magazine (Venezuela), Frieze Magazine, Utne Reader, Inside Art, The Times-Picayune, The Washington Post, The Austin Chronicle, UK Daily Mail, The Daily Serving, Art Daily, Art Info, and more. His work is included in the forthcoming book “For Which It Stands: Americana in Contemporary Art,” curated by Carla Sakamoto. Farameh Media. Release date: November 15, 2012.
September 14 – October 20, 2012
Opening Reception: Friday, September 14, 2012, 7-9pm
Fresh from Hurricane Isaac, New Orleans-based Dan Tague presents his second solo exhibition at Civilian Art Projects. An artist and activist, Tague’s work addresses disparity in contemporary American society. For this exhibition, Tague creates work from car hoods, punk t-shirts, portraits of presidents, bombs and chandelier parts, painting, photography, collage, sculpture, video, sound, and more.
