Turning Heads

In the art world, carving out a space for women is as important as ever, but the four female artists in the exhibition "Make You Notice" aren't interested in issuing a blitzkrieg on phallocentric norms. They're more interested in how contemporary bric-a-brac can create the most startling contexts for identity and socially proscribed rituals. And much like the Pretenders line the show takes its title from, the artists use their imagination, above all, to command viewers' attention. Meandering around the gallery space is more like taking a tour through an interactive theater, in which routine is the spectacle. In the videos of Kate Gilmore, which feature her precariously placed sculptural installations, a woman's walk down the street becomes a humorous yet unsettling metaphor for the daily dangers that could surface at any moment. Jenifer Wofford's multimedia mayhem -- ranging from drawings to installations -- take a lucid, sometimes slapstick approach to uncovering the contradictions and thorny political realities inherent in our daily lives. In much of the work, confrontational renderings of self and society are supplemented by refreshing humor that carries the work beyond boilerplate notions of identity. Lisa Anne Auerbach and Laura Swanson are also featured in the exhibit.
March 27-May 24, 2008