POETIC BODIES
Mattie Sterling & Katie Chatham
May 15th 2021
3:00pm-7:00pm
POETIC BODIES explores the sacredness and power of the human figure within two different frameworks. Both artists work with the human form and exploration of the human experience. Their work is a reminder of the authority and freedom that we have within our own lives. Chatham pulls from narratives across cultures that relay stories of human fortitude and transfiguration. Focusing on the Hero’s Journey, she depicts instances of metamorphosis with dramatic imagery of the human figure in oil on canvas. Using traditional methods of oil on panel, Sterling’s work is a manifestation of feminine figures as well as a feminist assessment of conceptions behind women’s sexuality and sexual identity. With subtle satirical criticism in expression, the work she creates operates outside the confines of a space devoid of meaning and matter because her work allows her to debunk the gendered stereotype of women’s sexual authority over their bodies. This show is uniting narratives that emphasize the power of the subject in hopes for that energy to transfer to the audience, reminding those of the innate presence and sovereignty which lies within them.
