Dan Herschlein’s latest exhibition, DEADMAN, at King’s Leap in New York delves into the unsettling terrain of human vulnerability, repressed emotion, and the hauntingly familiar language of horror.
Blending sculpture, drawing, and performance, Herschlein employs the visual language of horror to interrogate the undercurrents of alienation, fear, and emotional repression. His sculptures—crafted from wood, plaster, and wax—depict fragmented bodies and headless, scarecrow-like figures that evoke both terror and tenderness. The voyeur, a recurring figure in Herschlein’s work, serves not as a menacing threat but as a symbol of estrangement, gazing inward at its own isolation.
The exhibition’s staging is as crucial as its subject matter. Lit by beams reminiscent of childhood flashlight rituals, Herschlein’s monochrome figures recall shadow plays, where both light and darkness reveal hidden truths. By addressing the suppression of male emotions, Herschlein challenges cultural narratives of stoicism and control, reframing vulnerability as a strength rather than a weakness. In DEADMAN, horror becomes an intimate dialogue—a tool for self-reflection that cuts to the marrow of the human condition.
