“There’s a combination of beauty and also anxiety,” Molly Jo Burke said when discussing the “Possession is Not Distinguished: By Purchase or By Gift” exhibit.
The exhibit was shown in the Birke Art Gallery on the first floor of the Visual Arts Center from Aug. 12 to Sept. 19.
When discussing the thought process behind this exhibit, Burke said, “There is this focus on things that are comforting from the home like furniture, lighting, stuffed animals.”
The Cincinnati-based artist/designer duo, consisting of Burke and Nathan Gorgen, used their experience as parents as inspiration for their work.
“We incorporate a lot of domestic objects and things that relate to architecture and the home because a lot of our own world right now is really focused on domesticity in some ways and the home,” Burke said. “We have two small kids, so most of our time is spent between this combination of working to earn enough money to care for our kids, but also our free time is often spent as caretakers in the home.”
They also use heirlooms that have been passed down from their family and leftover household objects for their artwork. This, according to their artist statement, makes for “imaginative recycling and repurposing of substances for roles that they do not normally fill.”
When discussing one of the pieces, Burke said, “The chandelier actually came from my grandmother’s house, and we used it in our wedding, and so a part of it is actually playing on nostalgia.”
In their artist statement, Burke and Gorgen said they particularly like using items that are stretchy or soft to evoke a feeling similar to the human body.
“The results are whimsical creations that are chaotic, joyful and curious, challenging the audience to reconsider the environments and objects we encounter daily,” they said.
When asked what they wanted people to take away from this ex-
hibit, Gorgen said, “One thing that we obviously wanted people to take away is being visually interested and impressed, but we also want people to think about those things that they have in their own lives and how they
affect their life and their homes.”
The Visual Arts Center gallery
hours are from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Monday through Friday.
Jordan Ooten can be contacted at [email protected].
