LaiSun Keane is proud to present "Lashing Out" a two person exhibition featuring artists Jennifer King and Gyan Shrosbree from June 2 to July 16, 2023.
This exhibition brings together two seemingly different artists to compare and contrast their practice and chosen art mediums. Through the power of social media, Jennifer King caught our attention with her painted ceramic vessels. Gyan Shrosbree, introduced to us by an artist, delighted us with her highly saturated and colorful paintings. Both artists explore the themes of contemporary female roles in society today through ceramic vessels, texts, painted figuration, garments and accessories.
The artistic approach of Jennifer King's ceramic vessels is deeply connected to their intrinsic nature as domestic objects. On the surfaces of these vessels, she incorporates painted figures that portray feminine faces alongside various elements from nature, such as spiders, octopuses, strawberries, and flowers. These representations, as per an interview with Suzanne Volmer in Artscope magazine, stem from King's childhood memories marked by trauma and mental illness. As a passionate reader, she juxtaposes the vessels' pictorial exteriors by incorporating text from the books she has read into their interiors. In her analysis of the work, Volmer states, “Deciphering them is quite fascinating, intimate at times and humorous with the materiality of clay very relatable as a tactile experience.” King's work is influenced by celebrated artist Betty Woodman, one of her mentors, who coincidentally, was also born in Connecticut. However, she has developed her own artistic language to express her distinctive experiences as an individual with a history of childhood trauma, now an artist, mother, spouse, and teacher.
Gyan Shrosbree, a second-generation artist, was raised in an artistic environment as the daughter of Jim Shrosbree, a renowned ceramic artist. Her early influences included esteemed artists Nancy Spero and Leon Golub, whom she worked with after completing her art education. Shrosbree's work focuses on the performative aspects of femininity, incorporating recurring elements such as the female figure, attire, footwear, and accessories in her paintings. Her vividly colored paintings serve to assertively establish the significance of these motifs within societal contexts. Simultaneously, they both confine and emancipate women, thereby fostering opportunities for diverse dialogues.
As the preparations for this exhibition unfolded, both artists engaged in a collaborative exchange, discovering a shared affinity for the motif of eyelashes within their respective works. This connection ultimately led to the birth of the exhibition title "Lashing Out”. Both are thoughtful artists with different trajectories in life yet creating work with themes of identity based on lived experiences. Women's eyelashes have long been a coveted beauty trend, with many seeking to enhance their natural lashes or even use false lashes to achieve a more dramatic look. However, this trend has also been used as a tool of oppression, with society placing unrealistic beauty standards on women and pressuring them to conform. “Lashing Out” provides a double meaning, not only referring to the act of applying mascara or false lashes, but also representing the idea of standing up against societal pressures and expectations.
Jennifer King was born in Connecticut and grew up in New Jersey. She received a B.F.A. from the University of Colorado, Boulder, in 1992, where she studied under ceramist Betty Woodman and Scott Chamberlin. She lives and works in Los Angeles.
Gyan Shrosbree received her B.F.A. from the Kansas City Art Institute, and her M.F.A. from Cranbrook Academy of Art. Gyan is currently an Associate Professor in the Department of Fine Arts at Maharishi International University. She lives and works in Fairfield, Iowa.
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