From projectors to accordion books to thread drawings, the current galleries at the Brickbottom Artists Association in Somerville are full of surprising mediums and inspired themes under the banner of “Language as a Muse” and “Joys, Sorrows, & Concerns.”
The “Language as Muse” gallery features the work of Marjorie Forté and Antoinette Winters, responding to language.
“I just love words,” said Winters. “There’s something about them that holds a lot of power.”
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One of Winters’ pieces, entitled “in the time of covid,” is an accordion book with phrases and words that capture the turbulent times we live in. She took phrases from the media, such as “wash your hands,” “don’t touch your face,” or “the pandemic wreaks havoc” and broke them up into individual words such as “havoc,” “wash,” “touch,” “don’t.”
Winters broke up these phrases because she “didn’t want it to be as easy for people to just move through these very familiar phrases.”
Forté’s collection, entitled “The Small Things,” was inspired by English writer Virginia Woolf, who wrote: “to shine a light on small things and show perhaps they are not small after all.”
“My inspiration comes from things I read,” Forté said: “From poetry, from prayers, from books.”
The series features stitched drawings of seemingly ordinary objects, such as scissors, paper clips, and eating utensils. However, having Woolf’s quote in mind, the viewer may begin to realize that these every-day objects play significant roles in our lives.
Responding to texts via artwork is not as simple as it sounds.
“Usually [the text] sits around in a folder for a long time,” Forté explained. “It’s like a stew that simmers, and one day it just happens.”
“Joys, Sorrows & Concerns” in the other gallery features the work of Susan Schmidt, confronting the societal issue of those seeking asylum in the United States.
“I started in 2017, which was when the Trump Administration was putting all sorts of restrictions on people coming across the borders,” Schmidt said. “Then they started the family separation policy and, like many people, I was outraged.”
Schmidt’s work features both stationary and moving aspects. Using a large, slow-turning wheel attached to an overhead projector, Schmidt displays her drawings of asylum seekers surrounded by moving symbols such as drones, megaphones, and the torch of the Statue of Liberty.
“I think when you’re used to seeing images flashing across a screen, it’s a different kind of response when you draw from a photograph,” said Schmidt. “It slows down the whole process and gives you time to respond in a different way.”
Like many businesses and organizations, the Brickbottom Artists Association has been forced to make adjustments as a result of the pandemic. However, they have successfully held seven exhibitions since COVID-19 restrictions took effect last March.
While the galleries are not physically open to the public, the shows can be viewed at brickbottom.org/exhibition/language-as-muse-joys-sorrows-concerns, on Instagram (@brickbottomartists) and on Facebook (facebook.com/brickbottom). The show runs until Feb. 27.
Drew Johnson is a media and communication major at Salem State University.
Read More: Somerville artists present virtual Brickbottom Gallery shows