VIVARIUM by Ryan Parra
The works in VIVARIUM showcase interests in the rich history and current practices of ethnobotany (such as traditional shamanic practices), the history of still life paintings and plant illustrations, the exploration of plants as a system of knowledge, and the organization of agriculture for the purpose of sustaining the masses. The exhibition on view includes still lifes of edible, medicinal, and psychoactive plants growing in the Tempe/Phoenix valley, along with video and installation continuing the theme of curiosity, containment, and control.
Polyethylene Indulgence by Emily Ritter
Polyethylene Indulgence contains three months of soft plastic that I collected through the consumption of different foods and products in my everyday life. By saving my trash, I am recognizing the irresponsibility of our contemporary culture of consumption and designed obsolesce. Many of these plastics are created to be single use items that end up in a recycling bin, a landfill, or the ocean-- most likely the latter two. As a non-biodegradable material, plastic negatively impacts animals once it is in their natural habitats. Animals may accidentally ingest or become entangled in plastics leading to death or deformities. This piece brings into question how much plastic we produce, and prompts us to examine its effects on our environment that we share with many other creatures that are unaware of plastic’s dangers. As a person that is conscience of consumption's effect on our planet, I still consume and produce waste. By creating a conversation about our consumption and waste, I hope to bring up questions on how to solve these issues, and inspire the viewer to question their actions and role.
Pin-ups by Nathaniel Lewis
Looking at the strengths and vulnerabilities of friends and strangers through the lens of social media can be terrifying. What is the personal narrative we express to the world? How do we preserve the self-image we create? Using visuals inspired by scientific displays, Nathaniel Lewis creates sculptures that strip away the false grins and duck faces to present authentic, surreal, portraits of everyday people. Reducing these figures to small specimens, he plays with the scale of human forms to create a relationship between individuals and the natural world. These bodies are not idealized or deliberately grotesque, they are posed as genuine portraits to be examined closely.
The works in VIVARIUM showcase interests in the rich history and current practices of ethnobotany (such as traditional shamanic practices), the history of still life paintings and plant illustrations, the exploration of plants as a system of knowledge, and the organization of agriculture for the purpose of sustaining the masses. The exhibition on view includes still lifes of edible, medicinal, and psychoactive plants growing in the Tempe/Phoenix valley, along with video and installation continuing the theme of curiosity, containment, and control.
Polyethylene Indulgence by Emily Ritter
Polyethylene Indulgence contains three months of soft plastic that I collected through the consumption of different foods and products in my everyday life. By saving my trash, I am recognizing the irresponsibility of our contemporary culture of consumption and designed obsolesce. Many of these plastics are created to be single use items that end up in a recycling bin, a landfill, or the ocean-- most likely the latter two. As a non-biodegradable material, plastic negatively impacts animals once it is in their natural habitats. Animals may accidentally ingest or become entangled in plastics leading to death or deformities. This piece brings into question how much plastic we produce, and prompts us to examine its effects on our environment that we share with many other creatures that are unaware of plastic’s dangers. As a person that is conscience of consumption's effect on our planet, I still consume and produce waste. By creating a conversation about our consumption and waste, I hope to bring up questions on how to solve these issues, and inspire the viewer to question their actions and role.
Pin-ups by Nathaniel Lewis
Looking at the strengths and vulnerabilities of friends and strangers through the lens of social media can be terrifying. What is the personal narrative we express to the world? How do we preserve the self-image we create? Using visuals inspired by scientific displays, Nathaniel Lewis creates sculptures that strip away the false grins and duck faces to present authentic, surreal, portraits of everyday people. Reducing these figures to small specimens, he plays with the scale of human forms to create a relationship between individuals and the natural world. These bodies are not idealized or deliberately grotesque, they are posed as genuine portraits to be examined closely.