About The Show
Proof of Life
I’ve struggled, like many trans artists, to respond to this moment in history in a clearly defined way: there is too much input and only so much mental capacity for outrage, fear, and sorrow. For me, this manifested as artist block, a clammy state of questioning whether I could make anything at all, much less work that is meaningful in this time division and unbridled hatred for the other.
Within this body of work there is a painting I started last spring, while I was riding high on fresh hormones and the invigorating sensation of growing pains in my breasts. Finishing the last few marks it needed, after the election, became a strenuous chore marking the stark transition between then and now. It hangs next to drawings that, while comparatively ephemeral and scattershot, now feel precious as reminders that making is still possible. As the title implies, this show simply states that I am alive and here, my hands and eyes can still work together, and I will continue as we all must.
Artist Bio
Born in South Bend, Indiana, Echo Martin (they/them) is an artist, musician, and horror movie fanatic living in Columbus, Ohio. They hold an MFA from Ohio State University and have completed residencies at The Skowhegan School of Painting and Sculpture, The Vermont Studio Center, and the Pont-Aven Ecole d’Art. They entered the world in 1985.
About The Show
Through his time as an artist Jay has developed different avenues of expression. All of them are mixed media in some way and some born out of experimentation. His Paintings use backgrounds made with paints that shouldn’t be used together like enamels and house paint, left out in the cold of winter to cure, creating textures and visuals you normally don’t get. The main subject matters are pulled from his life being part of the human condition through a lowbrow lens. He’s always found it easier to express the ups and downs of life through humor. The same goes for his illustrations, in which he uses: watercolors, colored pencils, inks, acrylics, and graphite. Along with his sculptures, which are a mix of found object assemblage and different crafts. His photography has gone through the most evolutions. All of it is erotics based off the simple need for sexual expression for all. He works with everyday people as models, asking them to wear masquerade masks in order to create an anonymity that hopefully allows the viewer to relate to the artwork. First, he did hand colored black and white images on fiber based paper. Then using layers of water soluble pastels with a combination of acid free spray glue and acrylic spray. He also cut around the image and used layers of paper under it to make them three dimensional. One of those was published in The World’s Greatest Erotica Vol. 3, published in 2009. He then moved to using modern, resin coated prints. This allowed him to explore the three dimensional aspect of the pieces. For all of these he finishes the pieces by modifying found frames to showcase them. Jay plans on exploring more mediums and subject matters as he grows as an artist and a human. As well as pushing the envelopes he’s pushed further.
Artist Bio
Jay Mueller is a Columbus Ohio based artist, originally from the burbs of Chicago. Growing up at the right time for a kid with a thirst for T.V. led him to be exposed to shows full of imagination like Land of the Lost, Gigglesnort Hotel, The Muppet show, Ren and Stimpy and The Gong Show. He also had developed a love for magazines like Heavy Metal and the all mighty MAD along with his father’s collection of Playboys with one of his favorite cartoonists Gahan Wilson and also he got a new look at an old favorite, Shel Sliverstein. As a young budding artist his parents let him attend all ages art classes at a nearby learning institution and would occasionally find him an art tutor. While in high school, he transferred from public school to The Chicago Academy for the Art, this is where Jay started his formal training in making art and gave him new influences like Francis Bacon’s Figure with Meat and Duchamp’s Nude Descending a Staircase along with a personal favorite, The Fountain. After the Academy Jay moved to Columbus Ohio to attend The Columbus College of Art. He started there as a three dimensional illustration major, in hopes to work for The Muppets. While finding out that Jim Henson’s death had changed the way the company worked and would force Jay to reconsider what he wanted to do, he took a photo class as an elective. Jay’s father is a photographer so he grew up spending time with his dad in his dark room and on shoots. He figured it would be an easy grade. While in that class, everything he had been around his entire life came flooding in and he decided to switch his major to Photography/Fine Arts this also introduced him to new influences like Jan Saudek and Joel-Peter Witkin. Jay graduated with a BFA in Media Studies in 1998.
About The Show
The Space Within / The Space Between
“The Space Within / The Space Between” is a solo exhibition featuring work by Elizabeth Tolson that explores the themes of time, fertility, motherhood, and world-building through ceramics and fibers. Tolson’s work is an exploration of the experiences of creation and growth, both in the biological and existential sense. Her pieces feature bodily forms and intricate textures crafted from ceramics, evoking the essence of fertility and the passage of time. These elements serve as metaphors for life’s cycles, capturing the balance between fragility and resilience. Interwoven with these ceramic forms are fibers that share narratives of motherhood and nurturing, where their softness and connection reflect the strength and vulnerability in the maternal experience. Through this integration of ceramics and fibers, Tolson invites viewers to reflect on the interconnected spaces we inhabit, both within ourselves and between each other.
Artist Bio
Elizabeth Tolson is an Artist and Educator who combines textiles and ceramics to create a dialogue between the themes of fertility, motherhood, time, and space. The use of sewing, weaving, and ceramics, allows her to connect the slow and deliberate process of stitching with the physicality of clay. Tolson holds an MFA from Parsons School of Design and a BFA from Alfred University. She has participated in residencies at the Textile Arts Center, Trestle Projects, Chashama’s ChaNorth, Woodstock Byrdcliffe Guild, and ProjectArt at the Bushwick Brooklyn Library. Exhibitions include the Textile Arts Center in Brooklyn, NY, Local Projects in Queens, NY, Target Gallery in Alexandria, VA, and Cuchifritos Gallery in Manhattan, NY. She was a Guest Juror for the Textile Arts Center’s Work in Progress Residency. Tolson is currently based in Brooklyn, NY where she is a Part-time Assistant Professor at Parsons School of Design in the First Year Program.
