Connecticut's artists have been quietly crafting remarkable works, often hidden in plain sight. The Aldrich Contemporary Art Museum's inaugural decennial exhibition, 'The Aldrich Decennial: I am what is around me', showcases 40 artists based in the state, all made in the last decade. This exhibition is a testament to the diverse and vibrant artistic community in Connecticut, featuring works by both established and emerging artists. The museum's mission has always been to support artists at different stages of their careers, with a particular emphasis on feminism and public artworks. The decennial exhibition is a celebration of discovery, showcasing the spirit of exploration and the impact of geopolitical events on artists' lives and work. The exhibition is a testament to the museum's commitment to showcasing the best of contemporary art in Connecticut, and it is a must-see for anyone interested in the art world.
One of the most striking pieces in the exhibition is Enrique Figueredo's 'Una enfermedad que solamente el oro puede curar (A Sickness Only Gold Can Cure)', an eight-foot outdoor sculpture made from hand-carved plywood and acrylic paint. The sculpture is a powerful statement on the healing power of gold, and it is a testament to Figueredo's skill and creativity. Another notable piece is Kristy Hughes' 'Portal: Hope as Practice', a multi-colored sculpture made with a mix of acrylic, fiberglass, and epoxy resin. The sculpture is a powerful statement on the importance of hope and possibility, and it is a testament to Hughes' skill and creativity.
The exhibition also features works by artists who explore life and culture in New England in the 19th and 20th centuries. Emily Larned's 'Police Others As You Would Have Others Police You' is a wall-length installation of risograph prints that documents how a New Haven Police Academy leader changed the organization's training practices to become more community-minded. Grace O'Connor's romantic works depict her childhood in working-class Waterbury and the surrounding Naugatuck Valley, and she painted one of her works, 'Among Strange Silences', by holding the brush with her mouth due to her ALS diagnosis.
Lula Mae Blocton incorporates patterns from her African American heritage with frog motifs in reference to an 18th-century myth. Jen Bervin created a cotton batting and muslin quilt based on one of Emily Dickinson's poems, but omitted most of the words, only sewing in the poet's dashes and other variant markings with red silk thread. The exhibition also features works by immigrant artists grappling with their dual identities and their communities' diaspora to the northeast.
Faustin Adeniran's 'Arewa (Elegance)' is a mosaic-like portrait created from scores of aluminum cans that he painstakingly cut up and assembled. Arghavan Khosravi's acrylic paintings depict Iranian women grappling with oppression and struggling for freedom in an idyllic landscape. Azza El Siddique made a 3-D stoneware mold of a statue of an Egyptian noblewoman from the Middle Kingdom and placed it on a steel base. Scott Carrillo Azevedo's mixed-media pieces are adorned with vintage glass flowers, costume jewelry, painted seat belts, and ceramic birds, resembling a Mexican altar, in honor of his Mexican-American heritage while also asserting his queer identity.
Aki Sasamoto's jerry-rigged contraptions are a reminder that surprises can abound even in the suburbs. The exhibition is a testament to the diverse and vibrant artistic community in Connecticut, and it is a must-see for anyone interested in the art world. The Aldrich Contemporary Art Museum's commitment to showcasing the best of contemporary art in Connecticut is a testament to the museum's dedication to the art world, and it is a must-see for anyone interested in the art world.
