On the heels of the Fourth of July and just in time for Charlotte’s PRIDE celebration, McColl Center is pleased to present American Honey, an exhibition featuring a roster of ten Queer artists who are celebrating and challenging Americana through a spectrum of media including painting, tattooing, ceramic, textile, film, and everything in between.
The American summer is sweltering heat, grilled hotdogs, broods of hypersexual cicadas and the smell of freshly mown grass, memories of family vacation, sunburn, fireworks, heat lightning, and countless news articles that begin with the line, “A Florida man.” The nostalgia hangs heavy like humidity, especially during a particularly volatile contemporary climate when Queer Rights and Representation are being threatened.
The Southern-ism “Oh, Honey,” is slathered like succulent BBQ sauce across Paul Maloney’s vessels and ants clamor across the surface of Nic Dyer’s sculptural paintings in search of something either sweet or dead. There is an interesting tension between leisure and survival in the works, as seen in the contrast between birdwatchers in James Parker Foley’s paintings and Danielle Klebes’s figures that wander through an impressionistic wilderness that feels both magnetic and foreboding. Catalina Cheng’s ceramic take on Fu Dogs offer a sense of protection, while Marianna Peragallo’s Thank You bag sculptures subvert their assigned roles. Queer Joy sizzles in Van Lane and Riah Lange’s film which finds two lovers devouring food (and each other) in a power outage. Queer bodies are also celebrated in Cassidy Early’s paintings and Colin J. Radcliffe’s sculptures that blend the figure and nature seamlessly in a summery Eden. Together, the eclectic blend of humor, artistic styles, and body representation contribute to a dynamic exploration and expression of Americana through the queer lens.
Join us for the opening of American Honey on August 10th, 5-8 pm. Many of the artists will be in attendance. The exhibition is on view through September 15th, ending with a closing reception that Saturday the 14th featuring many family-friendly activities for McColl Center’s Family Day. For additional information, images, or exclusive content, please email curator Taylor Lee Nicholson hello@taylorleenicholson.com