Image for group exhibition Endless State

Endless State
November 2020
The Skowhegan Alliance is pleased to present an exhibition of recent works Skowhegan Alumni made during the 2020 COVID-19 Pandemic. Juried by Xinyi Cheng (A'14), Yui Kugimiya (A'10), and Jagdeep Raina (A'17), this is the first exhibition of its kind to be organized by Skowhegan.

The works in this exhibition embody a unique combination of paintings, drawings, sculptures, video, installation, and photography that grapples with building a new visual language in order to come to terms with understanding the strange new world we have all individually and collectively found ourselves in. A curiosity with listening to what's shaped the day to day lives of these artists—where time seems to have become compressed and the outside world becomes more intangible with the digital inside—are at the core of the psychologically charged works that are being presented. Whether it is the figurativeness, the tactility of material, the traces of hands, or the subject matter and daily life, these artists prod away at what it means to stitch together the threads of vulnerability that the world has suddenly been exposed to; a vulnerability that has rarely been shared before in such a global state. 

But coming to terms with this current reality also forces us to deal with the inevitable longing for a world long disappearing into memory. It is this delicate balancing act where time collapses and the past, present, and future become blurred that these artists embrace so fearlessly in these presented works; a blurring that also allows us to see that the things in our lives that were once so mundane, familiar, and taken for granted are suddenly being acknowledged. Yet, these artists don't just force us to see this acknowledgement, but also teach us how to compassionately confront the unknown every single day, no matter what kind of state we continue to find ourselves in.

VIEW ONLINE EXHIBITION: https://www.endlessstate.work/

Text by Jagdeep Raina, image by Yui Kugimiya and Xinyi Cheng over Zoom 

Brian Alfred, A ‘99 Avantika Bawa, A ‘08, Farrell Brickhouse, A ‘71, Sue Collier, A ‘79, Bully Fae Collins, A ‘17 & Jonathan Chacon, A ‘17, Karishma D’Souza, A ‘17, Esteban del Valle, A ‘11, Maggie Ellis, A ‘17, Mark Ferguson, A ‘94, Hadrien Gerenton, A ‘18 , Mark Haddon, A ‘91, Elisa Harkins, A ‘15, Michelle Hauser, A ‘81, Kunlin He, A ‘18, Erick Hernandez, A ‘17, Ditta Baron Hoeber, A ‘62, Jack Hogan, A ‘19, Terry Holleman, A ‘65, Kyung Jeon, A ‘03, Gary LaPointe Jr., A ‘13, Amanda Lechner, A ‘18, William Leech, A ‘73, Jon Marshalik, A ‘14, Lilly McElroy, A ‘06, Nancy Modlin Katz, A ‘78, Julie Ann Nagle, A ‘10, Ann Oren, A ‘09, Liza Phillips, A ‘89, Daniel Rich, A ‘04, Pallavi Sen, A ‘17, Kuldeep Singh, A ‘14, Matt Smoak, A ‘19, Felipe Steinberg, A ‘14, Joan Steinman, A ‘82, Eve Sussman, A ‘89, and Brian Zegeer, A ‘10

Kyung Jeon Coronavirus and Dog Walking 2020
Kyung Jeon
Coronavirus and Dog Walking, 2020
Graphite, watercolor, gouache, Japanese Shizen paper on rice paper on canvas, 18 x 24 inches

Coronavirus and Dog Walking takes an everyday scene during the time of the Coronavirus 2020 quarantine and depicts the isolation and loneliness of daily life in the city. The dog owners wear masks and social distance, while watching their dogs. A jogger appears on the bottom with her mask under her chin. The clouds that are cutout and collaged from Japanese Shizen Paper represent the weight of uncertainty.

 


Kyung Jeon Coronavirus and Mask 2020
Kyung Jeon
Coronavirus and Mask Wearing, 2020
Graphite, watercolor, gouache, Japanese Shizen paper on rice paper on canvas, 18 x 24 inches
 
Coronavirus and Mask Wearing takes an everyday scene during the time of the Coronavirus 2020 quarantine and depicts the isolation and loneliness of daily life in the city. A child looks out the window, as another child hides under his mother's dress for protection. Garbage sits on the curb as the city's streets are abandoned and a biker rides by. The clouds that are cutout and collaged from Japanese Shizen Paper represent the weight of uncertainty.

 


 
Kyung Jeon Coronavirus and Black Lives Matter 2020 Kyung Jeon
Coronavirus and Black Lives Matter, 2020
Graphite, watercolor, gouache, Japanese Shizen paper on rice paper on canvas, 18 x 24 inches
 
In the painting titled Coronavirus and Black Lives Matter, the artist Kyung Jeon collected powerful images of protestors demonstrating against police brutality and systemic racism during the time of the coronavirus pandemic and recreates them in this peaceful protest scene. The clouds that are cutout and collaged from Japanese Shizen Paper represent the tear gas used against peaceful protestors."