creature comforts
August 4 - September 25, 2021
creature comforts centers on the themes of intimate environments, multi-layered emotional states, the pastime of distraction, and creative compulsion as a coping mechanism for this past year. Finding wonder in our smaller daily lives.
Ten local artists share how they found [wonder/care/distraction] in their daily lives during the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. Like many of us, Soon-Wai Wong took comfort in getting takeout for dinner. His detailed renderings of the often overlooked and faded facades of his favorite restaurants convey an affection for the mundane. Xee Reiter’s work notes the realities of a life lived mostly in the home during the past 16 months. A creative diary, Xee filled an entire sketchbook cover to cover with her observations. Jes Reyes’s mixed media collages are intimate explorations of domesticity and the small details of everyday. Alex Betzler’s house portraits present the home as another member of the family, with unique character, stories, and memories attached to its presence in our lives. Stacey Combs’ gouache portraits celebrate real-life bodies and our genuine human forms. Lynda Mullan’s abstract work functions as a conversation piece between herself and the viewer. She uses her artwork to connect with others- asking what you think, what you feel, what responses her work provokes. The abstract shapes and biomorphic elements of Suyao Tian prompt the viewer to wander and explore not only the images but their own internal spaces. These inner workings are also echoed in the metaphysical creations of Nate Woodard. His floating figures search for calm and peace in the vacuum of space. Hannah Foster’s sculptures and drawings offer reflection of our physical and emotional relationship with objects by presenting entities imbued with human and/or animal characteristics. Dylan Rogers created a catalogue of creatures throughout the pandemic as an exercise in creating predictability through repetition.
During the unprecedented year of 2020 (and still in to 2021), we all spent time in isolation, dealt with loss in some form, and relied on the little things to provide comfort during this difficult time. This exhibition explores the artists’ experiences with a smaller, more insulated world. As you explore these works, consider your own patterns, rituals, or ways of finding relief in 2020. What will you take with you? What will you leave in the past?