LIFE LINES: Angel O, Sarah Wray & Masha Badinter

The Midwives Gallery presents Life Lines, featuring new works by three recent graduates of Moore College of Art & Design, Masha Badinter, Angel O and Sarah Wray.  A lot of us have been there, in the place between college and the rest of your life. It can be an exciting time – a time to celebrate your new found freedom. Or it can be a dark and uncertain time. Sarah Wray’s emotive, pattern-driven illustrations, Masha Badinter’s nostalgic video installation, and Angel O’s darkly humorous cartoons and videos, were created in this very uncertain moment. These three emerging artists are here to remind you and themselves that they’re alive, to not miss the oft-overlooked details of life, the beautiful moments that make us all feel, and … the punch line.

The opening reception takes place on Friday, September 11, 2009 from 6 PM till 10 PM at the Midwives Gallery located at 1241 Carpenter Street.  The Gallery will be open Saturdays from 12 PM till 5 PM or by appointment only (contact themwc@gmail.com).  There is no admission fee to enjoy this show, though donations are encouraged. Life Lines runs through October 4, 2009, with a closing reception on the final day. Since the Gallery is participating in Philadelphia Open Studio Tours East (POST), we will be open from noon till 5PM on October 3-4th.

Sarah Wray—

Originating as a fine art photographer, Sarah Wray often takes on the role of the observer, noticing unique details that concentrate on growth, structure, and decay. To translate her photographic observations into two-dimensional formats, Sarah refers back to her experience with painting and digital arts developed while earning her Textile Design degree (Moore College of Art & Design, Philadelphia, PA). Sarah’s combination of photography and painting create emotive, pattern driven illustrations that abstractly dive deep into life’s details that are often overlooked.

Angel O—

I use humor in some of my work because it's what helps me get through the day. My humor gets a bit dark at times but that's what happens when you become a bitter old grandpa like me. I combine personal experiences with things I observe and hear on a daily basis for my little "stories". I go through phases when it comes to what material I feel like using so I'll get my hands on something and use it like it's the greatest thing in the whole world and then I'll get tired of it quickly so I have to move on or else I'll get bored and probably die.

Masha Badinter—

The process of re-creating a situation/experience is a predominant part of my work. I believe that there are beautiful moments in life that are universal grounds for feeling. These moments become situations; the way one feels on a rainy day, the shadows that happen in your bedroom at night, a beautiful sunset! These are some situations I am confident that transcend time and can be recognized by all as venues for feeling. If these convictions are right, then maybe acknowledging these moments and they way they make us feel can be a connection we can share if only for a moment. I choose to re-create these moments because I think the human connection is important to exercise and preserve. There is a level of idealism that is embedded in the making of the work; I trust that everyone has something inside of himself or herself that enables him or her to feel. For this reason, although I am creating a narrative from my own memory of an experience, it is very important that it is one that the viewers themselves can complete. I am merely creating an atmosphere that is calming and soothing so that others can feel comfortable enough to let their own psyche and memories come out.