SHELTERS SHACKS AND SHANTIES Galerie Esther Donatz Sep-Oct 2014
Dear Volcanoe, by Anna McCarthy
All we need now is Huckleberry Finn,“ reads a drawing by Anna McCarthy
in her current exhibition at Esther Donatz Gallery. The call of nature – associated
with adventure, freedom and romanticism – never seemed more appealing
than today. Is the luxury of a comfortable life, as one of the benefits of
Industrialization, a precondition to get back to basics? Is the newly sparked
desire for authenticity a cautious attempt to break free from a civilized
existence? Whether it manifests a rejection of capitalist values and therefore
a little form of rebellion remains to be seen. In either case, nature has
increasingly become a place of quest for meaning and well-being in the 21st
century. This may result in ecological lifestyles, balanced diets and outdoor
activities or culminate in complete self-surrender following the principle “survival
of the fittest”, as it is simulated in numerous TV survival shows.
But what happens if nature revolts and does not turn out to be human’s
best friend? How do we react to volcanic eruptions, Ebola and other catastrophes?
Can we rely on our instincts?
Anna McCarthy explores this range of topics in her exhibition SHELTERS, SHACKS,
AND SHANTIES, named after a guide for young boy scouts from 1914 by Daniel
Carter Beard. The artist thereby examines human behavior in the context of
a promising, but also irrepressible and violent nature. From spiritual movements
to apocalyptic prophecies, this dynamic constellation reveals various tendencies
which Anna McCarthy reflects in paintings, drawings, texts, video and object
works. Often, seriousness and absurdity are closely related to each other.
As one of Anna McCarthy’s protagonists realizes: “This reality
bites.”
Animal Pregnancy, Ink on Paper, 2012
Detail Earthwire II, Mixed media, 2014
Installation view, Earthwire I & II & Godess of Nature and Cheap Products
Keep calm in case of shutdown, Emulsion and Acrylic on canvas board, 2014
Goddess of Nature and Cheap Products, 2014
Install Fake Palms & Godess of Nature and Cheap Products & Paperclip/Safety Pin Trick
Reit Im Winkl, Ink on Paper, 40x40cm, 2014
Detail Earthwire I, Mixed media, 2014
Which is Witch, Scully in a Shitstorm, Emulsion on Canvas, 80x60cm, 2014
Which is Witch, Scully leaning up against tree, Emulsion on Canvas, 80x60cm, 2014
Install
Naked and Afraid, Emulsion and Acrylic on Paper, 2014