OneWay Gallery
Presents “Nothing To See Here”
From March 25 to April 30, OneWay Gallery presents “Nothing to See Here,”
a political exhibit that beckons viewers to look closer and to think deeper.
“Because
of the time, the immediacy of the moment, everyone’s stimulus scale is off the
charts,” says curator Scott Moran, who created two site-specific installations
for the show. “As artists, we react to it. And the themes embody our work.”
“Nothing
to See Here” also features work by artists Tom West and Jessica Cabral.
Moran’s
installations are informed by his interest in global humanitarian crises. The
first, “Migration,” is a plaster impression of footprints.
“When
large groups of people migrate, they’re never welcome,” Moran says. “And the
current conflicts are just setting the stage for what will happen next with
climate change and coastal erosion.”
His
second installation, “Fear of the Clear Blue Sky,” places the viewer under a
foreboding shadow cast by a weaponized drone.
“It
was inspired by an interview with an Afghani who said he feared clear skies
because drone strikes were the likeliest,” he says. “Here in the Ocean State, we view the blue sky as a productive day — something mood enhancing. But in other parts of the world, it’s like, ‘Oh shit, blue sky, we’ve got to run to the well,’ or ‘don’t let the kids out.’ ”
Tom
West, a Providence-based artist who draws on his experience as a Navy veteran
and a youth art instructor, homes in on politics and immigration with
flame-throwing abandon.
West,
who also operates a silk-screening business, re-appropriates existing projects
for the show, including the “I Farted” series, a sardonic take on the “I Voted”
sticker.
New
work in “Nothing to See Here” includes “Government Hills,” a statement on the Hollywood-to-government
pipeline, and “Hasta La Vista, Baby,” a “your face here” carnival cutout
depicting a Hispanic pregnant woman. Viewers can interact with the piece by
placing their faces in her womb, a commentary on American-born citizens with
undocumented mothers at risk of deportation.
“No
one has used folk art like this to tackle serious issues,” West says. “I’m
finding it’s a great vehicle to get messages out.”
Rounding
out the show, artist Jessica Cabral presents a collection of work inspired by
the reclamation of power in the face of oppression. “You Watched Me Wake Up,” a
triptych self-portrait of the artist, exposes the process of awakening, growth
and transformation in a personal and political sense.
“It
exposes my shaky discomfort with other people ‘watching’ me figure it all out,”
Cabral says. “This is my very vulnerable, very anti-private way of admitting I
have a lot to learn.”
She
also presents “I Will Not Keep Quiet,” an installation featuring the image of
iconic activist Angela Davis beside a collection of protesters; a “Liberal
Snowflake” installation; and a coat hanger chandelier inspired by the pro-life
movement.
“Dangerous
shit does and will happen when you take away women’s rights,” Cabral says.
“It’s literally putting logic in the back pocket for the sake of
righteousness.”
The
show runs from March 25 to April 30. The public is invited to an artists’
reception on April 1 from 5 to 8 p.m.
Regular gallery hours are from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday. OneWay Gallery, 140 Boon St., Narragansett, 401-792-8800, onewaygallery.com
Regular gallery hours are from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday. OneWay Gallery, 140 Boon St., Narragansett, 401-792-8800, onewaygallery.com
