SYNTHESIS – Group Show

MERCURY 20 BACKROOM GALLERY
ANDREA BREWSTER, JESSICA CADKIN, MARY CURTIS RATCLIFF: SYNTHESIS

In their latest works, Andrea Brewster, Jessica Cadkin, and Mary Curtis Ratcliff converge around the themes of nature and memory; each bringing a unique approach to the synthesis of old and new, real and imagined.
Brewster employs digital tools, including AI, to create compositions that capture the essence of nature. By blurring the line between reality and imagination, representation and abstraction, her pieces present a dreamlike realm where the familiar transforms; inviting viewers to engage with nature in new and thought-provoking ways. Continuing her experimentation with 35-millimeters slides from the 1950s through the 1970s, found at the estate sale of a deceased 100-year-old dentist, Cadkin scans, layers, and alters the slides to create unexpected landscapes. Ratcliff continues this theme of synthesis in her new circular works featuring cut-outs of starlings. Building on her long-standing exploration of birds in both 2- and 3-dimensional compositions, her latest creations examine symmetry and pattern, interconnectedness and harmony. Together, the three artists’ works reflect a shared commitment to integrating diverse influences, perspectives, and materials to create art that is new a meaningful.

September 6 – October 19, 2024
Gallery Hours: Fri + Sat, 12 – 5 pm (and by appointment)
Artists’ Reception: Sat, September 14, 4 – 6 pm
Oakland Art Murmur / First Friday: September 6, October 4, 5 – 9 pm

Image: Andrea Brewster, Enchanted Garden #2, 2023, Archival Pigment Print, 24×36: Jessica Cadkin, King Arthur Carrousel, Digital Collage, 12×16; Mary Curtis Ratcliff, Starling Symmetry, 2024, Mixed Media Collage, 30×1