Zebadiah Keneally’s work feels like 1990s Nickelodeon, Monty Python, and Portlandia. Zebadiah’s work crisscrosses between multiple mediums and subject matters. At first glance the work seems rooted in an absurdity, but upon closer investigation realize that he is actually addresses existential themes and topic through his whimsical performances and cartoony creations. By focusing on a seemingly simplistic elements of the human experience, Keneally uses his work to address deeper questions about life and God by poking fun at what we consume. Though he whole heartedly embraces absurd humor, his use of images of everyday objects, weird fabricated props and backdrops, cleverly addresses the big questions in life. A key image like “Hamburger Vampire” has evolved into a complex mythology that sets the stage for the world his characters live in. With the mainstream successes of programs like Adventure Time, Gravity Falls, and Doctor Who, thoughtful absurdism like Keneally’s joins an exciting conversation that is meaningful to contemplate.
Keneally's solo exhibition at OUTLET Fine Art opens Friday, February 12, 2016.
