Delicacy

COLLAGE ON VIEW

Delicacy
at Galatea Fine Art in Boston, Massachusetts, USA
4-29 April 2018

“Delicacy” is a multidisciplinary exhibition showcasing the work of five New England mixed media artists. Each artist explores ideas of intimacy, while delicately applied techniques resonate in the work. In addition to woven expressions of elegance, the work simultaneously asserts an undeniable vigor.

One of many shared trends throughout the artists’ work is their inspiration for subject matter–the intimacy of their personal beliefs and histories. Another commonality is their attention to identity within society. The execution of delicate techniques are evident in the artists’ process and exploration of the picture plane. Whether the works are digital images, collage, drawings, or sculpture, each piece holds the essence of fragility and vulnerability.

Cory Munro Shea refers to this body of work as her “Worry Dolls”. Her work expresses her lifelong experience with anxiety while trying to fall asleep at night. Her use of images intertwining with one another symbolizes the sensitive and delicate conversations one has with themselves when spiraling through these recurring feelings and emotions. Ultimately the final images exude strength by expressing these moments of vulnerability through bold and impeccable composition choices.

Jenny Brown creates works on paper, inventing a mythical world of sea creatures and forests that come alive. Her love of paper ephemera and detailed line work is apparent throughout her drawings and collages. Her recent work focuses on representing decorative harmonies in elements such as flora, fauna, sky and sea. The use of florals in the work bestows heartfelt emotions, while the objects and creatures extended branches and tentacles conjure feelings of strength and growth.

Susan Emmerson’s work is an exploration of the picture plane; delving into a three-dimensional surface created in an unpredictable method. Emmerson works in Tyvek and gains sculptural strength through methods of heating, sanding, cutting, and gluing. Emmerson, a full-time artist, was previously a brilliant surgeon for many years. As an artist, she penetrates these surfaces to expose its curiosities, akin to a surgeon penetrating the skin. Her work also recalls cells and microorganisms, body cavities and organs, and bits and pieces of the natural environment.

Stephanie Todhunter is a mixed media artist who uses plaster, alcohol inks, and dolls from the 1970s to capture the lost-in-place feeling of the “latchkey kid” generation. The “Latchkey Kids” doll portraits are pushed into self-reliance as each girl is individual yet trapped in limbo, represented by the originally vibrant colors now faded and blurred.

Daniel Zeese’s work explores populations, belonging, and identity within an urban environment, investigating what it means to be within a civilization yet on the edge of the wild. Common themes in his work include animals, such as a deer; a recognizable and glorified icon that represents both elegance and fear as well as misunderstanding in an urban environment. Adding textiles to the animal serves as clothing, adding personification, while also acting like a shield for the observer. This juxtaposition also refers to the dichotomy of grace and strength of the animal. An avid animal lover and vegetarian Zeese brings a beautiful honor to his taxidermy deer heads, glorifying their strength and his appreciation.

(adapted from the gallery’s and artist’s press materials)


INFORMATION

Galatea Fine Art
460B Harrison Avenue
Boston, Massachusetts 02118
(617) 542-1500

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Image: (top)
Worry Dolls I
by Cory Munro Shea
10″x10″
archival digital print, gold leaf, glitter

Image: (centre)
For Sleep in the Storm
by Susan Emmerson
acrylic, painted and molded Tyvek
2016

Images courtesy of Galatea Fine Art, Boston