Emerson exhibits explore bases of identity, volcanic aftermath
Warm up with a step into one of the Emerson Center for the Arts & Culture’s featured exhibits this fall. Liminal Strangeness by Jade Lowder considers our ties to space. It is on display in the Weaver Room Gallery through November 12th.
An excerpt from her artist statement: “How we connect with space is a question that we must focus on and give awareness to if we hope to possess a broader understanding of ourselves. Through the painting, drawing, and the examination of images and places of importance, or inversely unimportant and banal, I construct a picture of what identity is. […] Space can reveal much about our personalities and our perceptions of the world around us. We identify ourselves by where we are from – where we live and where we choose to spend our time. Our perception is directly tied into our understanding of the self.”
A Year Without Summer by Courtney Blazon explores the immediate and long-lasting effects of a devastating natural disaster. The showcase is on display in the Jessie Wilber and Emerson Lobby galleries through Nov. 26th.
This series of surrealistic and symbolist drawings link the far-reaching effects of the 1815 eruption of the Tambora volcano in Indonesia. Modern climate science and meteorology, the opening of the Northwest Passage, the Chinese opium trade, gothic horror, and American westward expansion are just some of the surprising consequences demonstrating the global impact of this singular event and offer caution to our current man-made climate state.
Large works in the Jessie Wilber Gallery show the associated events and global effects tied to the 1815 eruption of the Tambora volcano. The Emerson Lobby shows a series of narrative portraits of the historical figures appearing in the large works in the Jessie Wilber Gallery, as well as a salon style collection of portraits featuring prominent literary figure, both fictional and real, whose fame emerged from The Year Without Summer.
All exhibits are free and open the public. For more information about the Emerson, gallery hours and these exhibits, please visit www.theemerson.org. •
