Something Wild in My Garden, 2017
Featured artist: Olga Ponomarenko
Scheduled to run: June 10 - July 15, 2017
RECEPTION: Saturday, June 10 * 6p-9p
Something in My Garden will be exploring the plight of urban wildlife. Many of our furry and feathered friends have been evicted from their habitat by an exploding human population who in their search for progress are destroying their natural environment. In turn wildlife are forced into ‘residential areas’, placing their own and their neighbors’ pets in jeopardy, in order to find food for survival.
Via the featured artist Olga Ponomarenko:
In this series of paintings, I chose wild animals as subjects; I purposely avoided any direct references to people. I believe it is useful to remind our selves that humans are not the center of the universe. The only things that would defer to us are the plants that we grow in our gardens, along the walls and fences that separate us from the wilderness.
Booming urbanization and industrial development of wilderness are stripping animals of their natural habitat, and in turn, animals are looking for alternative “residential” places in search for essentials for survival, water, and food.
I was inspired by the Facebook videos and pictures, that usually show funny situations that occur when wild animals invade “civilized” places. In my paintings wild animals were depicted cute purposely, not only for viewers entertainment, but also to highlight their vulnerability. Being cute also mean being non harmful, and that how we like them.
Participating artists:
Jaclyn Alderete, Douglas Alvarez, Ulla Anobile, Julie B, Lea Barozzi, Skye Becker-Yamakawa, Terri Berman, Denise Bledsoe, Andrea Bogdan, Debra Broz, Lacey Bryant, Ivonne Carley, Joe Carrion, Gigi Chen, Jon Ching, Nancy Cintron, Joshua Coffy, Rosie Garcia, Valency Genis, Corrie Gregory, Patrick Haemmerlein, Annette Hassell, Anita Inverarity, Brooke Kent, Lydia Moon Hee Kim, Patricia Krebs, Mavis Leahy, Malathip, Nichol Norman, Janet Olenik, Sarah Polzin, Olga Ponomarenko, Myriam Powell, Johnny Quintanilla, Jen Raven, Meghan Ritchey, Bobby Rojas, Joshua Roman, Lena Sayadian, Corina St. Martin, Kelly Thompson, Yuki Toy, Juliette Vaissiere, Kelly Vetter, Joe Vollan, Michelle Waters, Emily Wenner, and Holly Wood.