LOS ANGELES, CA.- Beginning October 23, 2018, Maccarone will present an exhibition of original political cartoon drawings made over the past two years by Jim Carrey. Selections from an ongoing body of work that began with the November 2016 election of Donald Trump to the office of President of the United States, the drawings on view in IndigNation: Political Drawings by Jim Carrey, 2016-2018 express Carrey’s views on the current American political climate. These drawings have been shared with the general public via social media — Carrey has posted these images (and in some instances altered them using computer enhancement) on his Twitter feed along with impassioned, sometimes witty, often introspective or heart-wrenching messages. The exhibition at Maccarone will be the first to present his original drawings ‘IRL.’

On view through December 1, IndigNATION coincides with the 2018 midterm elections across America.

Carrey’s cartoon drawings are a conduit for his frustration and disappointment in the U.S. constituency, his response to the election of a controversial and ill-equipped media figure and the corrupt and dishonest manner in which the current administration is perceived to function. A tragic humor imbues these political drawings, echoed by Carrey’s exasperated commentary. No longer able to keep his opinions to himself, he has chosen the public platform of Twitter – the very same vehicle employed by those he critiques — to communicate his views. By sharing these drawings, Carrey draws attention to the dysfunctional policies of an embattled White House and a chaotic government whose motives and actions seem to threaten the very democracy they are tasked to preserve.

Carrey’s decision to share his drawings derives not only from his own perception of our current political climate, but from a belief that freedom of speech is a right that must be exercised in order to remain protected. A globally recognized artist known for his work as an actor and entertainer, Carrey is using his high public profile to disseminate a message — an exclamation, a call for change. His drawings belong to a long tradition of political cartooning in which artists seek to articulate an urgent perspective.

Michele Maccarone, founder of Maccarone Gallery, describes the exhibition IndigNation as part of a larger project her gallery has undertaken over the course of twenty years to connect fine art practice with popular culture and entertainment through such exhibitions as the critically admired 2013 show Creating Reality by Andy Kaufman, inspired by the work of the late stand-up innovator, satirist, and cult figure.

Maccarone commented: “Our gallery has a history of mounting exhibitions that look beyond the orthodoxies of the art world. In its empowered form, art is a vision, a protest, a viewpoint set forth by its maker out of a sense of urgency. Jim Carrey’s political drawings are a great example of this. He draws every day to materialize his protest, and he uses Twitter to ensure that the widest possible audience encounters these images along with his commentary. By presenting the original drawings in real life, in a single room, we are encouraging visitors to slow down and truly take them in, to hear what Carrey is saying by seeing what he is drawing.”

Jim Carrey is an award-winning actor who has been honored for both his dramatic and comedic work. He currently stars in and executive-produces the critically acclaimed Showtime series “Kidding.” In 2017, he showcased his art in the short documentary “Jim Carrey: I Needed Color” which explores his life as an artist. Carrey is the subject of the Emmy-nominated Netflix documentary “Jim & Andy: The Great Beyond,” a behind-the-scenes look at his Golden Globe- winning performance of Andy Kaufman in “Man on the Moon.” He has starred in dozens of films including “Ace Ventura: Pet Detective,” “Dumb and Dumber,” “Liar Liar,” “The Mask,” “Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind,” and “The Truman Show.” Carrey starred in the hit television series “In Living Color.”