When Words Fail, May 2021
WELCOME TO OUR GROUP EXHIBITION!
CURATED BY GRACE LANG
ARTIST & EDUCATOR
FEATURING ARTISTS:
Brittany Reid , Robert Hickerson , Monica Defonseca , Noa Fenigstein , Batoul Ballout , Jennifer McGowan , Abi Salami, Ana Martínez Orizondo , Sarah Crofts , Seohyung Lee , Kirk Gower , Taylor Maroney , Libby Sipe , Margaret Scott , Austin Wells , Katrina Jurjans , Afi Ese , Harsimran Juneja , Scott Wheelock , Chantal Lesley , Eleni Simoni , Hyunhee Doh , Maryam Amirvaghefi , Tricia Townes , Daniel Gamez , Edwin Philpott , Jonathan Wright , Jess Bass , Janet Stafford , Aaron Bos-Wahl , K. Johnson Bowles , Garreth Carroll , Monifa Kincaid , Nasi , Ayna Paisley , Allison Moyers , Linda Smith , Jessica Alazraki
ABOUT THE EXHIBIT
How do we communicate when we cannot find the words? To verbalize a thought or feeling is an attempt to be understood, either by one’s self or by another. But some experiences seem to go beyond language. They are simply too big to be fully expressed in words. Or perhaps the words themselves are too difficult to speak out loud, so we create an alternative language – a visual language – to do the talking for us. For this upcoming exhibition, we are seeking work that represents these personal languages, the attempts to communicate and be understood without or beyond the need for words.
NOTE FROM THE CURATOR
It was a true honor to spend time with these submissions. The artwork and the artist statements moved me tremendously. Thank you all. In selecting pieces for the exhibition, I looked for artwork that utilizes the power of visual language, seeking a sort of raw, emotional form of communication. I aimed to include a wide array of media, styles and subject matter, while keeping the show’s theme in mind. Some of the selected work captures dark and twisty emotions, while some reflects moments of tenderness or nostalgia. There are crowded scenes and tranquil ones. There are meditations on family, the passage of time, and the evolution of identity. I do not necessarily know for certain what the artists are hoping to say through their artwork, as that is rarely explicit, but I feel the intention. The work speaks to me. I can feel the presence of personal stories behind and inside each of the selected pieces. They are like invitations to create our own little narratives, possibly ones that provide us with some comfort or a feeling of connection to the artist.
— Grace Lang, Artist & Educator
Kirk Gower. The Fall of Me. Oil on panel.
Robert Hickerson. Sometimes You Shouldn't Keep it Going. Digital C-Print.
Monica Defonseca. Desire. Oil on canvas.
Noa Fenigstein. Neighborhood 1. Graphite, charcoal, & colored pencils on paper.
Batoul Ballout. Carry Me Home. Oil on canvas.
Batoul Ballout. Bloom. Oil on crumpled canvas.
Jennifer McGowan. Macaroni Mouth. From the MILF MOUTH MADNESS series. Digital photography.
Abi Salami. The Last Day You Rained on My Parade. Acrylic paint & gold leaf on canvas.
Sarah Crofts. Untitled Alphabet: Transcription. Archival inkjet print.
Seohyung Lee. Picnic. Acrylic on canvas.
Taylor Maroney. They're, They're. Oil on panel.
Libby Sipe. Untitled. Acrylic and cyanotype.
Austin Wells. Strange Visitor (Left) & Camp Out (Right). Diptych. Acrylic & watercolor on canvas.
Katrina Jurjans. Forever Together (always apart). Acrylic on canvas.
Afi Ese. A Woman's Worth. Oil on canvas.
Harsimran Juneja. Induced Insecurities. Emulsions, acrylics, oil sticks & oil pastels on canvas.
Scott Wheelock. Succubus. Ink & acrylic on paper.
Chantal Lesley. I've Spent so Much Money Trying to Look Like You. Archival inkjet print.
Eleni Simoni. Mazi. Mixed media.
Hyunhee Doh. First Talk in Quarantine_2020_June _ 00. Mixed media on canvas.
Maryam Amirvaghefi. Did Anyone See My Performance? Mixed media on paper.
Tricia Lynn Townes. Grief (Covid Loss in the Family). Acrylic on cloth mounted on a handkerchief.
Daniel Gamez. Homeless: Please Help, Dyon Jackson. Cyanotype on cardboard.
Edwin Philpott. Pink Pool Party. Digital painting.
Jonathan Wright. Boys in a Tree. Oil on canvas.
Jess Bass. It’s a Nude. Painting in bathroom with homemade washable paint.
Janet Stafford. Couple. Oil on canvas.
Aaron Bos-Wahl. Untitled. Watercolor.
K. Johnson Bowles. Burden of Proof. Mixed media assemblage.
Garreth Carroll. Primordial Image - Self Portrait. Alcohol marker, acrylic & paper board.
Nasi. Masochism. Watercolour, ink, pan pastel & acrylics.
Ayna Paisley. Nine Years Of Silence. Mixed media collage.
Monifa Kincaid. HFDL: Done. Ink on paper.
Allison Moyers. The Vanity. Oil & resin on canvas.
Linda Smith. Manassas. Digital print on silk chiffon with embroidery hoop and thread.
Jessica Alazraki. Bending Down. Oil on canvas.
Ayna Paisley. Nine Years of Silence. Mixed media collage.
Allison Moyers. Love Triangle. Oil & resin on canvas.
Brittany Reid. Every Living Thing (Part I). Hand-cut collage made from found media.
Brittany Reid. Every Living Thing (Part II). Hand-cut collage made from found media.
Kirk Gower. The Mystery and Melancholy of a Boy. Oil on panel.
Robert Hickerson. Fur Thing. Digital C-Print.
Noa Fenigstein. Neighborhood 3. Graphite, charcoal, & colored pencils on paper.
Monica Defonseca. In Red. Oil on canvas.
Jennifer McGowan. Lego Mouth. From the MILF MOUTH MADNESS series. Digital photography.
Abi Salami. Click Here to Unsubscribe to European Beauty Standards. Acrylic paint & gold leaf on unstretched canvas.
Ana Martínez Orizondo. About My Mother Series: Hands. Pastels on Indian (shizen) paper.
Ana Martínez Orizondo. The Healer. Pastels on paper.
Sarah Crofts. Untitled Alphabet. Archival inkjet print.
Seohyung Lee. Night Fight. Acrylic on canvas.
Taylor Maroney. Curbside. Oil on canvas.
Libby Sipe. Portrait of Dad. Acrylic and cyanotype.
Margaret Scott. Zwarte Piet's Big Sister (Triptych). Hand felted fiber.
Margaret Scott. 5 Times More. Hand felted & stitched fiber.
Austin Wells. Mom's Tomato Garden. Acrylic & gouache on paper.
Katrina Jurjans. In a Past Life (I planted my foundation). Acrylic on canvas.
Afi Ese. Tignon. Charcoal, soft pastel & gold leaf on cotton rag.
Harsimran Juneja. Insecurities (Don't Capture My Face). Emulsions, acrylics, oil sticks & oil pastels on canvas.
Scott Wheelock. Little Red Riding Hood. Ink & acrylic on paper.
Chantal Lesley. Portrait of a Man I Never Knew. Archival inkjet print.
Eleni Simoni. Am I a Big Strong Fish? Mixed media.
Hyunhee Doh. First Talk in Quarantine_2020_April _ 01. Pencil, ball-point pen, ink & highlighter on paper.
Maryam Amirvaghefi. Was Forced to Runaway from Home. Mixed media on paper.
Tricia Lynn Townes. Pout (Where Are My Friends?). Acrylic on cloth mounted on a handkerchief with buttons.
Daniel Gamez. Homeless: Please Help, Steven. Cyanotype on paper-bag.
Edwin Philpott. Palm Mystery. Digital painting.
Jonathan Wright. What do you See? Oil on canvas.
Jess Bass. Eat Urself. Collage with sharpie drawing.
Janet Stafford. Trees. Oil on paper.
Aaron Bos-Wahl. Call with Dad. Watercolor.
K. Johnson Bowles. Sounds from the Back of My Head. Mixed media assemblage.
Garreth Carroll. Take What is Needed. Alcohol marker, acrylic & paper board.
Monifa Kincaid. HFDL: Fall. Ink & paper.
Nasi. Between Fear and Hope. Watercolour, ink & oil pastel.
Linda Smith. Concord. Digital print on silk organza with embroidery hoop and thread.
Jessica Alazraki. Holding Cat. Oil on canvas.
Thank you for visiting our exhibit!