Beastiarum Vocabulum @ Rosenberg Gallery

Jessie Boyko's unapologetic rhino fornication, her paintings are based on her travel experiences

Beastiarum Vocabulum, the new show at Goucher's Rosenberg Gallery, features artists who are exploring the relationship between animals, humans and art. The theme of the show came to curator Laura Amussen after last year's Art Basel, where she saw a number of artists investigating these ideas. The included artists each have a very different take on and reason for their animal imagery. Some worked more figuratively, and others have abstracted the animal beyond recognition, as with David Page's leather drumsticks (below), and Beverly Ress's delicate paper work.

Gowri Savoor uses animals to represent memory and its occurrence in her life

Detail from Lisa Dillin's igloo sculpture

Beverly Ress

Evan Morgan's sculptures in front of Jenny Mullins' animation

Beverly Ress

Me inside Lisa Dillin's growling sleeping bag...yes it growls

Evan Morgan's deer ducks

David Page in front of Melissa Dickenson

Lily and a friend admire Melissa Dickenson's pieces

David Page

The show as a whole has a slightly more commercial feel than past Rosenberg exhibitions. This is maybe in a large part due to the included prices, and (me, personally) having seen Page's work recently at Jordan Faye. Amussen, as always, has selected some beautiful and interesting pieces for the space, my favorites being Jenny Mullins' video and Lisa Dillin's funny/surreal/bizarre sculpture, but I think, honestly, I would like to have seen some more beasts-it is a little tame.

The show is already open to the public, but will have its opening reception on Thursday, September 25th from 6 - 8 pm.
COME SEE IT FOR YOURSELF!

Bestiarum Vocabulum Opens @ Rosenberg Gallery

Beastiarum Vocabulum, the new group show opening at Goucher College's Rosenberg Gallery, investigates the relationship between humans and animals, and the contemporary vocabulary created by artists who use them in their work.
The exhibition will be on view from September 15 - October 19, with an opening reception on Thursday, September 25, 6 - 8 pm.
Featured artists: Jessie Boyko, Melissa Dickenson, Lisa Dillin, Evan Morgan, Jenny Mullins, David Page, Beverly Ress, and Gowri Savoor.

Still from Jenny Mullins' animation piece

From the catalog essay: A bestiary or bestiarum vocabulum was a book popular in the Middle Ages which contained illustrated descriptions of various animals, birds and even rocks. The natural history and illustration of each beast was typically accompanied by a moral lesson. In addition to providing intriguing interpretations of animals, bestiaries offered tales about the existence of bizarre and loathsome mythical creatures. Since that time animals have appeared in the visual arts in everything ranging from decoration to symbols and allegories.

Detail from Lisa Dillin's sculpture

The show, curated by Ten Tigers' friend/fav, Laura Amussen, is guaranteed to be excellent. Rosenberg is not that far away, carpool, take the city bus, take the college town bus (its free!), just make sure you get there, I promise it will be worth it.

Art Event Tonight

tonight, wednesday, 8-10 pm.

liz put together a beautiful show for walker's return from the land of the west. he was gone all summer! and now we are celebrating with taxidermy, photos from the big hunt, and other curiosities.

brandy, light fare. friends. photos. art.

824 west 33rd street baltimore md 21211

open to the public