installation view (photo by Aaron Paden)
Entering the 3West Gallery in the West Bottoms for the first time to see Leon Jones’ solo exhibition “Guess Who’s Invited to Dinner,” I followed gallery owner and JCCC Fine Arts professor Mark Cowardin through a series of hallways, stairways and unmarked doors that opened to colorful and winding art spaces. Stepping into the gallery, I was transported into what I first interpreted as an unfinished 19th-century dining room. A domineering rectangular table for four sits in a furnished room, complete with place settings on the table, a hutch, a Bible on a stand in the corner and a flickering chandelier above.
Upon closer inspection, something felt jarring about the environment. Was it the various types of guns strategically placed around the room juxtaposed with pictures of Christ’s crucifixion on the walls surrounding the table? Was I thrown off by the vacant chairs and the feeling of incompleteness? Or perhaps the fact that the entire environment and its artifacts consist of Oriented Strand Board (OSB)?
On second thought, the strangest part of this installation, I realized, was one of the place settings. The place setting at the head of the table is disconnected from the rest of the table visually through its deconstructed chair, upside-down silverware, overturned cup and weaponry nearby. Even more disconcerting, I noticed that the place setting is physically disconnected from the rest of the table, having been literally cut away with a river of negative space between the head of the table and the other seats.
Jones provided an explanation in his artist statement: “Through large sculptures and installations, I am challenging canons of social constructs and historical accuracy.” By investigating and overturning concepts of modern masculinity, especially in the context of American society, Jones challenges viewers to consider the foundations of our democracy and how they affect us even in such a banal place as the dinner table.
Through its commentary on gender and patriarchal structures, Jones’ installation recalls such works as Judy Chicago’s 1974–1979 installation “The Dinner Party.” He argues that “the preservation of traditional gender roles is framed as a defense of the family unit, the moral order, and the nation itself,” which is especially true, he claims, when intertwined with religious doctrine and male supremacy.
Supporting his concept, Jones’ choice of media is also an integral aspect of the installation, which contributes to its political and social significance. OSB, a common material used in residential and commercial construction, enshrouds a large percentage of the gallery space. A façade or drywall typically conceals OSB, but by leaving it exposed, Jones uses the material as a metaphor for parts of American society, which are hidden under polite veneers of traditionalism, white supremacy and patriarchy.
“Guess Who’s Invited to Dinner” is one of several solo shows presented at the new 3West gallery. Cowardin, who is focusing the first year’s exhibitions on the work of some of his former students, said, “I wasn’t planning to start a gallery, but I found myself with a lot of space… 3West has become an extension of my teaching practice.”
A current resident at Studios Inc., Jones is preparing for his solo event in October 2025. He is also a former participant in the Artists in Residence Program at the Bemis Center for Contemporary Arts in Omaha.
“Guess Who’s Invited to Dinner” continues at 3West Gallery, 1106 Santa Fe S., through Jan. 4. Hours are currently by appointment only. For more information, contact @3west_kc on Instagram.
