Heavy Petting: New Works by Rob McBroom

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More About

• Rob McBroom
• Edward Lear

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"O lovely Pussy! O Pussy, my love, What a beautiful Pussy you are..." exclaims the Owl in Edward Lear's 1871 nonsense poem, The Owl and the Pussycat. While these stanzas likely struck a benevolent tone with 19th-century audiences, Rob McBroom's "Heavy Petting" recasts Owl, Pussycat, and their companions into eerily sensuous settings that drip with references to ad-infused popular culture. The show consists of 12 mixed-media panels that represent fantastical vignettes inspired by Lear's lyrical nursery rhyme. The artist's generously packed compositions, layered imagery, and vibrant hues pulsate with energy, while embedded logos and motifs from popular culture punctuate the dazzling settings. But it's McBroom's conception of the protagonists that incites viewers to forge connections to the characters, and to the paintings themselves. As Owl and Pussycat navigate various situations, you may begin to feel connected to them and their make-believe world. Viewers may even begin to worry about how the fairy tale will end. Rather than celebrating their journey by sea, in Panel #5 the couple desperately clutch one another as a storm threatens to overturn their small boat. Instead of reveling in their nuptials, Panel #10 reveals a somber wedding portrait; Pussycat's open mouth sounds a harrowing, Baconesque shriek. McBroom's re-imagining of Owl and Pussycat's romance makes one wonder if the couple is headed toward marital bliss, or into a dismal abyss. In addition, "Heavy Petting" reconnects guests to an old poem, making it relevant once again. The opening reception is this Saturday, November 14, from 6 p.m. to 11 p.m.
Nov. 14-Dec. 31, 2009