December 2007

“The Cult of True Womanhood”
Reliquaries, Rituals and Remedies
Jennifer Ruell- Huckle

The exhibit is mostly low-fire porcelain pieces, however there are a lot of other pieces that made from different materials. At first glance the exhibit mainly looks pretty. It is truly non- offensive if you don't take more than a second to look. But, you know for me exhibit it and for it to be in Zahra's Gallery it can't be all flowers and technique. Go to Jennifer's website (the link is at the bottom of this email) read the descriptions of the pieces (which a few are inserted in this email). There are a lot of surprise pieces not on her site that will only be shown in the gallery. All I can really say is all of the pieces are based on witchcraft, corsets, restrictions, and social practices gone awry ( 0 my! ). Jennifer has a lot of merch to be had that will be on sale at the show. Her T-shirts are kick ass and there will be postcards for sale as well. For those of you that physically cannot attend the show and see something you like or want some images of other pieces email me and I will forward all info.

Reception
Saturday December 8th from 6pm to 10pm
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Biography

Jennifer pursued her BFA in ceramics from SUNY New Paltz and has been working in the field of textile design for the past eight years. Her work has been exhibited in the Greenwich House Pottery, “Artist On Their Own: Ideas In Function” exhibition juried by David McFadden, curator of the American Craft Museum, as well as the juried show, “Art in Boxes: Hers and His Stories”, at the Noyes Museum of Art, which was featured in The New York Times Arts and Entertainment section.

This piece is a play on old wife's tales and witchcraft and the desperation felt to find a man and keep him. The largest box is filled with three vials containing, hair, fingernail clippings, and blood. It is to be believed that an actual piece of a person's body is the most potent ingredient in spells of the heart. The four other containers have actual love spells written on them including, To Get A Man, To Keep A Man, Arousing His Lust, and To Make Him Come Back To You. The containers are filled with objects to aid in the casting of the spells.

“Spell Bound”
A Young Lover’s Survival Kit
Mixed Media

At first glance this piece appears to be a regular jewelry box, the outside is decorated with loving couples, the women are being told tender phrases by their lovers, such as, "I will always love you", and "I will never leave you", however, this sweetness shifts once you open the box. The jewelry inside is in extreme contrast to the outside, it is adorned with phrases such as, "I never really loved you", "I can't stand you", "Shut your mouth", and images of women whose mouths are gagged. It for me is a commentary on how the newness of a relationship can sour. I sarcastically try to expose the false sweetness of courtship and the roles, that preceding this courtship, women often fall into.

“The Tokens of Your Love”
Jewelry Box with Jewelry
Porcelain and Fabric

 

http://mysite.verizon.net/vze1p5ln/jruellhuckell