Through
The Arts League, Philadelphia, PA 19104
April 11 - May 31, 2024
Established in 2009, Grizzly Grizzly has supported emerging and mid-career artists for 15 years, providing a physical exhibition space and producing a blog for critical art writing. As part of its mission, Grizzly Grizzly refrains from exhibiting the works of its artist members in its own space. However, periodically, the members of Grizzly Grizzly are invited to collectively show their own works at an external site, presenting an exciting opportunity to discover connections between their work.
Marking Grizzly Grizzly’s 10th off-site exhibition, Through at The Arts League features the work of current artist members: Erin Boyle, Amy Hicks, Diedra Krieger, Connor Longo, Jayne Struble, intern John Kozacheson, and resident designer Katie Leech.
For this show, the artists of Grizzly Grizzly use the multifaceted concept of the word "through" as a metaphorical bridge between the seen and the unseen, the tangible and the abstract. Each artist uses a particular lens to explore what it means to live through evolving conditions such as power imbalances, environmental degradation, urban flux, and the order and chaos of motherhood. Additionally, they are constructing an original collaborative contraption from everyday objects where a marble may be inserted and, ideally, move through by gravity (or, if necessary, guided by hand) to evoke processes that we flow through, go through, and look through in order to see it through.
By exploring femininity and motherhood through found objects, Erin Rose Boyle portrays a delicate dance between order and chaos. In her sculptures vulnerability emerges as a source of strength, urging us to embrace weaknesses for innovation.
Amy Hicks accesses historical footage to consider the influence of power dynamics on societal values. Focusing on labor issues and environmental degradation, she uses erasure-animation techniques in her video work to explore the blurred lines between good and bad intentions.
Influenced by cinema, horror, and the tools of media, John Kozacheson transforms raw materials like plastic and metal into structures of skin, bone and machine, producing unsettling images of human evolution.
Diedra Krieger creates playful immersive environments using post-consumer water bottles and bioinspired robotics. Her artwork addresses concerns about access to drinking water while providing an organizing structure for social relations.
Katie Leech's artwork melds urban inspiration, tape-defined shapes, monoprint printmaking, spray painting, and the rhythm of city life, celebrating the complex interplay of control and spontaneity.
Through grotesque and distorted imagery, Connor Longo's paintings draw parallels to circuses and casinos as symbols of distractions and profit-driven tactics. His paintings portray the dismantling of human identity, shedding light on power dynamics and the intentional obfuscation employed by those in control.
Jayne Struble focuses on the impermanence of our surroundings. Through graphite drawings integrated with video, performance, and objects, Struble captures the subtleties of nature's beauty and the inevitability of change.
As in our previous off-site exhibitions, our collaborative efforts throughout the production of this show result in a collection of objects that reflect the inner workings that make up the Grizzly Grizzly collective.