Exhibit – Selected Works From 'Birds of Paradise'
In "Birds of Paradise," artist Sara Golish questions the symbolism of conventional oil portraiture through a lens of eco-feminism by depicting traditionally oppressed bodies with dignity and grace.
Golish is classically trained in the tradition of oil portraiture. Her work is about liberating not just the subject from a patriarchal grasp but liberating the forms, techniques and materials from their historical usage and signification.
The tropical setting calls to mind women's traditional connection to the earth, while also alluding to the colonial history of oppression. Golish questions the conventions of oil portraiture through a lens of eco-feminism by depicting traditionally oppressed bodies with the dignity, grace, and autonomy denied to them in the classical tradition.
Golish received her Bachelor of Fine Arts degree as a drawing and painting major in 2008, and received the Eric Freifeld Award for proficiency in draughtsmanship. In 2011, to expand upon her visual language, she completed courses at George Brown College in graphic and web design and development. She has exhibited in Toronto, Montreal, Charleston, Denver and New York.
The exhibit was curated by Ashley Rubin, senior academic adviser in the School of Art.
A reception will be held Sept. 26 from 5-6:30 p.m.