homebody at cranbrook art museum
While home is commonly used in reference to a physical space, the concept of home extends far beyond the parameters of any structure. It is a place, but also a feeling. According to social scientist Aviezier Tucker, “most people spend their lives in search of a home, at the gap between the natural home…and the particular ideal home where they would be fully fulfilled.”
Homebody seeks to unravel the ambiguous term of “home” by delving into connotations of comfort, nostalgia, alienation, and perpetual longing evoked by a word wrapped in promises. All of the artists featured in the exhibition have ties to Detroit, granting Homebody both a local perspective and a spectrum of backgrounds and interests that reflect the complexity of the city itself.
In Mitch Cope’s Pillow Pile, what was once someone’s comfort, perhaps even prized, has been reduced to trash; dirty and worn with the stuffing oozing out. These items are organized into a colorful, textural composition where the white background allows the subject to pop. The framing returns the once coveted value of these discarded possessions.
Meredith Walker explores the body as a home unto itself by representing an organism’s internal anatomy through soft, tactile swirls of color. These pieces are separately titled but obviously the black and white oval appears to neatly fit into the colorful piece.
Sophie Eisner takes a mundane, everyday object and transforms it into sculpture. Bars of soap in various states of use create a narrative on a particular human activity and ritual regarding grooming and cleanliness. The subject of this piece isn’t obvious from a distance. I was attracted to this piece’s minimalism and dimensions prior to close approach when I was delighted to discover its subject.
There are a variety of interpretations on Homebody. Some are easily identifiable while others take some contemplation. Our relationship to home and the body means something different to each one of us. This exhibition reflects individual experiences and invites the viewer to consider theirs.
Artists featured include Tyanna Buie, Jason Carter, Mitch Cope, Lorena Cruz, Jessika Edgar, Sophie Eisner, Mario Moore, Martha Mysko, Dominic Palarchio, Rachel Pontious, Amy Fisher Price, Farah Al Qasimi, Jessica Rohrer, Victoria Shaheen, Darryl DeAngelo Terrell, Dessislava Terzieva, Corine Vermeulen, Meredith Walker, Ricky Weaver, and Renee Willoughby.
Homebody is organized by Cranbrook Art Museum and curated by Kat Goffnett, Assistant Curator of Collections at Cranbrook Art Museum.
On view through June 19th at Cranbrook Art Museum 39221 Woodward, Bloomfield Hills
*images are mine
direct quote from museum materials
SHOWS OPEN THIS WEEKEND
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