Exhibition: An Orchestra of Crickets

Curated by Anna Seaman (@anaoanna) and Jennifer Stelco (@stelcart)

Featured artists: @stelcart; @mercpin; @hipworth; @myriadinart_; @suryanto; @jonathanwolfe; @soulinearte; @uweheinedebrodt; @quasimondo; @MBSJQ; @glasscrane

Opening: Feb 5

Location: Cryptovoxels SuperRare Gallery

The mysteries of the English language have never been as beguiling as when it comes to collective nouns. A murder of crows or a parliament of owls; a cauldron of bats or a troubling of goldfish. These mouthfuls of sentences chew around in your mind and conjure up a clash of images and metaphoric madness that demand a pause for thought. The selected artists in this exhibition have delved into these both literally and stylistically to bring us these unique and special creations. The whole show is aimed to make you stop and take notice next time you run up a flight of stairs or open a chest of drawers.

Here is a run-down of the artists and their works.

Co-curator of this exhibition @stelcart’s work fuses realism and hyperbole as the woman in this frame transforms into a piece of furniture. Stylistically, the artist relies on simple outlines and two dimensions but her wonderful animation gives the chest of a woman the depth it needs to unfold into drawers and within each one she has hidden a surprise.

Twisting and floating through mesmerising spaces, the figures in this piece are entwined in the emotion of love. Is love the drug or is it drugged love? Get lost in trying to find the answers to this conundrum and consider love from a new perspective.

Sprawling in grandeur, regal yet debauched, the beasts in this artwork are deliciously contrary. They spread their wings (and their legs) beneath a spray of bubbles, which itself is laced with double entendre. The whole piece marvellously captures the discrepancies and mysteries of its titled collective noun.

The hallucinogenic tone of this piece with writhing limbs in the semi-darkness and eye slits peering out from behind the primary character, who is undoubtedly a “womxn”, is exemplary of this artist’s surrealistic style and her interest in figurative formations. For further exploration and comparison, check out Body Of Men – this work’s sibling piece.

This self-confessed Basquiat inspired artist quotes Albert Einsten on his SR profile when he says that “imagination is more important than knowledge”. This could hardly be more apt for this piece where the fish at school are overthrowing discipline and the fierce, shark-toothed teacher stands perilously close to a black hole. It is witty, engaging and anti-establishment.

This artist always manages to tackle subjects with an air of light-hearted optimism that sometimes belies the more serious nature of his work. Here, his army of multicoloured frogs line up, sentry-like, ready for action and each with a wry smile on its face. With humour we wonder what is behind their eyes, with careful consideration we may find surprising answers.

Like a dial on a clock, symbols rotate over a face marked with this artist’s signature lines that populate many of her artworks. The lines, in this case, signify age and wisdom and the movement reflects the complex nature of life itself. 

The worms here are almost tactile. Juicy and squelchy they are static yet seemingly not. However, bleached out in grey, they are the stars of the show and also the background. The swirls and spots, ribbons and buttons that pop out of the screen are inspired by the organic forms of nature that continue to fascinate this artist.

Scepticism and sarcasm collide in this piece as a serene and enchanting rain of giraffes glides gracefully into a majestic tower, only to be squashed, squeezed and bent out of shape in their finale. The surprise element and humour invite the viewer to watch it again and again.

Astro takes on the universe in flight. Astro’s many adventures have been played out across SR and here, he flies into this exhibition up a flight of fluffy pink stairs with an inflatable swan thrown to the stars.

The mesmerising chain constructed from this character’s circular spinal column, which rotates and triggers an explosion of energy from the heart is a fabulous combination of lighting, texture and design. Playing on the energetic fields of connectivity that bind all of humanity together, this piece allows each viewer to ponder upon the domino effect of a chain of events.

February 5^th – March 5^th, 2021 SuperRare’s Cryptovoxels gallery: https://www.cryptovoxels.com/play?coords=N@378W,59N