The Dank Smell of Earth

There is a great review by Felicia Feaster in the Creative Loafing on Shana Robbin's show "This Is Me. Be Careful" currently at whitespec. Feaster describes the whitespec space "like stumbling into some odd, esoteric museum in Paris or Amsterdam devoted to medieval torture or medical history."

Feaster references Matthew Barney in talking about Robbin's paintings and performances which is funny because John Otte, Robbins, and I had talked about Barney's performances for his "Drawing Restraint" series during the show reception. Feaster writes "Robbins has a comparable interest in linking nature and the feminine. Her costume, featuring an enormous satin hair bow (like those sad stick-ons plunked on girl-baby heads to signify "female") and lace, speaks to conventional, antiquated views of femininity. But her ornamentation of bark and Spanish moss and a face kept hidden from view give the impression of some mythic, eternal woman who haunts the primordial forest."

Feaster also has some great things to say about Beth's painting "Fruit" (calling it "sumptuous-scary") and my "Network" drawing ("vaporous, delicate "), both of which are in The December Show currently at whitespace gallery and makes an interesting connection between our work and Robbin's show. Feaster writes the great line, "When the lovely and the primal, the human and nature come together, the effect can be wonderfully disturbing."

Check out the Feater's review here and my previous post on the show openings here.