Alexandria Smith “Perpetual Adorations”
Scaramouche
This event has ended.
Scaramouche inaugurates our 2014/15 season with a solo exhibition by Brooklyn-based artist Alexandria Smith. “Perpetual Adorations” is comprised of recent paintings, mixed media collages and site specific installation. Smith’s work explores the emotionally-charged and awkward terrain of the developing stages in forming a sense of personhood. Responsive to notions of race and cultural difference, her practice is defined by a unique relationship to the body. Through amorphous, hybrid characters, and a conjured avatar for the artist named Marjorie, the works are imbued with amalgamations of femininity - limbs, pigtails, ribbons and dresses that activate a world in which the South, domestic interiors and magical realism collide.
Inspired by Claymation, Indian and Persian miniatures, and Baroque architecture and textiles, Smith fuses aspects of history and middle class domesticity to thwart the burden of realism. Through a cartoon vernacular and alluring, bold colors, a sense of nostalgia permeates the scenes in which characters on their quest for self, engage in “play” that balances between violence, innocence and grotesque misfortune set amidst sparse and symbolic spaces. Interweaving memory and autobiography, Smith creates a fictional, coming of age narrative that exposes complex notions of identity, gender, sexuality and the psychology of self-discovery.
Media
Schedule
from September 07, 2014 to November 02, 2014
Opening Reception on 2014-09-07 from 18:00 to 20:00