Bailey Saliwanchik hails from the deep woods, swampy fields and blue skiesof Maine, emerging with a belief in plant magic and the enchanted female. Her subjects are borne from a process of intuitive visual construction andcombined interests in contemporary illustration, fashion illustration,classic figurative painting, ancient ideologies, goddess worship andfantastical female characters : gypsies, princesses, witches, mermaids,cowgirls, nuns, dancers queens and mediums. She loves big hair, books byTom Robbins, ambiguous symbolism, gin, curls, and pumpkin muffins. She iscurrently based in Brooklyn, NY.
Nicole Maloof was born in 1983 in Seoul, South Korea. She received her BFA with a concentration in Painting and her BA with a concentration in Chemistry from Boston University in 2006.
"The work currently being shown is the beginning of an ongoing series, "Masked and Anonymous." In this series I am taking a limited stock of characters and incorporating them into various roles and narratives. The narratives are related but not overtly so. Familiar characters play multiple archetypes and so as one moves from piece to piece their identities become more convoluted and harder to predict. Some of the characters are literally wearing masks, but it's the repetition of story that simultaneously reveals more as it lessens predictability. Are they being truthful or simply playing a part? Are they on the side of the good guy or the bad guy? I want to address the question of what identity really is by partially removing it. How much do we on a daily basis use our preconception of identity to judge and compartmentalize individuals? Through anonymity I want to achieve a greater specificity through the loss of assigned archetype. The innocent are suddenly murderesses. The used become the powerful. Patterns adorning women's lingerie become a part of an elegant still life. This allows a more complex individual to be considered. And through this consideration of the individual, the human condition is more properly explored as opposed to simply being stereotyped."
Taylor Haynes hails from Northern New Hampshire. "My love for illustration has lead my exploration of art through painting and graphic design. My equal love and concern for the environment integrates itself into my art and lifestyle. Things I find irresistible: owls, polka-dots in various forms, all sorts of color, environmental activism, floral silhouettes, tea parties, textiles, wallpaper, the word "vintage", day dreams, stripes, dresses and tights, unexpected adventures, bliss-seeking, sunshine, paper shops, blogs, and creating art -of course!"
"Little Muses" will be up thru July 7th. Works from the show can also be seen here!
