The Really Good Stuff, 2022
BRICK Gallery at Blue Star Arts Complex (FOCO Artist Studio Residency)
These works explore the seemingly essential involvement of alcohol in any given event, especially a celebratory one. The usage of metaphors, humor, agave, and Mexican icons of celebration are used to paint a nuanced picture that mimics the subliminal yet normalized nature of alcohol consumption.
Alcohol has a distinct utility that allows you to lower your defenses, making you more susceptible to revealing an almost "truer" version of yourself; one that isn't bound to usual social constraints. It’s challenging to express concern for somebody with what you believe to be a problem, with what you believe to be gluttony. Doing so means confronting the unpalatable, uncomfortable truth that the role of alcohol isn't consistent for everyone.
This isn’t a finger-wagging gesture to invoke guilt, but rather a cue for introspection. It is essential to work towards a future where we can be vulnerable without the assistance of a substance.
Documentation by Sterling Allen
Materials: Tissue paper, tinsel, steel, cactus, acrylic, agave, stickers, playdough, vinyl, wood, and found objects
Alcohol has a distinct utility that allows you to lower your defenses, making you more susceptible to revealing an almost "truer" version of yourself; one that isn't bound to usual social constraints. It’s challenging to express concern for somebody with what you believe to be a problem, with what you believe to be gluttony. Doing so means confronting the unpalatable, uncomfortable truth that the role of alcohol isn't consistent for everyone.
This isn’t a finger-wagging gesture to invoke guilt, but rather a cue for introspection. It is essential to work towards a future where we can be vulnerable without the assistance of a substance.
Documentation by Sterling Allen
Materials: Tissue paper, tinsel, steel, cactus, acrylic, agave, stickers, playdough, vinyl, wood, and found objects