Continuing through June 16, 2018
Camille Rose Garcia’s lush and surreal exhibition “The Wonderful World of Dr. Deekay” is immersive, vividly colorful and psychedelic. We are plunged into a twisted and humorous look at the vicissitudes of the modern world. Filling the main gallery, Garcia deploys ten paintings, a wide range of illustrations, puppets, and a large-scale mural to take us on a magical mystery tour through what could well be one of Dante’s circles of Hell.
The exhibition is tied to an illustrated book and stop-motion animation project titled “The Cabinet of Dr. Deekay.” Garcia’s original story and illustrations were inspired by a nightmarish series of dental trips that included eleven root canals, combined with hallucinations triggered by an anti-anxiety pill. While some might want to forget these experiences, Garcia has instead created both art and a story from them; it’s a world both whimsical and horrifying. Her color palette is a fusion of pastel and neon, and with it, she creates compelling pop culture images.
In Gallery 2, the eye-popping, textured oils of Polish artist Ewa Pronczuk-Kuziak dazzle. Her exhibition “True Colors” offers its own surrealist journey, featuring images of poignant, multi-colored creatures that combine highly realistic expressions with hair and coats that look woven in rainbow yarn.