Wild Tangents is a bi-coastal exhibition curated by Caetlynn Booth (New York) and Ann Trinca (Bay Area), and came about in response to following unexpected directions in my own studio practice during lockdown, as well as observing this in the work of other artists. I wanted to see and hear more from other artists about their experience, and to find out what has changed or stayed the same in their art practice during this time of so much upheaval.
All of the change, and the need to adjust and adapt and come to terms with those things that are outside any one individual's control left me feeling like pursuing wild tangents, or those ideas that at first seem improbable or unlikely, might be our best way out of this. The year 2020 has challenged us in ways and on levels that I don't think anyone was expecting. Within a pandemic, how does one stay vulnerable but resilient? What is risk assessment when every case is different? Necessity is the mother of invention, and it's empowering to think that the way out of this pandemic can be fighting for equality, racial justice, and love for the most vulnerable. What will rebirth look like? As we are slowly emerging, yet unsure of the timeline and events to come, this show suggests methods for coping that remain tender and personal. Using humor, lightheartedness, and imagination to stare down fear, conceptual tangents leap from artist to artist, and a sense of joy in the ability to perceive and create--to make their visions visible, permeates. We hope that by seeing these works in this context, they might suggest some new wild tangents up for consideration.
Photo by Tyson Washburn
CAETLYNN BOOTH
Caetlynn Booth was born and raised in Northern California. Voracious as a student, especially as a young adult, she discovered her love of travel and big cities during an internship at the Hirshhorn Museum in Washington DC. She has always been a close observer of visual detail--as an ardent gallery and museum goer, her appreciation for the history and context of her chosen field has continued to grow. This exhibition is the result of cherished relationships with creative friends.
Caetlynn has close to 20 years of experience as an artist and arts administrator, both in the Bay Area and New York City. She earned her B.A. in Studio Art with a minor in Art History from U.C. Davis, and her M.F.A. in Visual Art from Rutgers University. She was the recipient of a Fulbright fellowship and D.A.A.D. grant for a two-year painting and research project in Berlin, Germany, and has become a partner at Reservoir Studios in Ridgewood, Queens, since settling in New York. She has participated in several artist's residencies, and her work has been featured at Pulse, Miami Beach, and in shows on the East and West coasts, as well as internationally. Through these experiences she has built a strong network that includes artists, galleries, collectors, and other institutions.