Exhibitions

BRIGHTER THAN THE FIRE AROUND ME

Fischman Gallery / 133 N. Commerce St., Johnson City, TN March 3, 2023 - March 31, 2023

Rae Tayo, Katie Murphy, Carla Taylor

The opening reception for Brighter Than the Fire Around Me will be on the first Friday of March. The date is March 3rd from 6-10pm. This event is free and open to the public!

“In Brighter than the Fire Around Me, artists Carla Taylor, Rae Tayo, and Katie Murphy show artworks that tell stories of survival, curiosity, and strength. Each of these artists relates to the traditional home space with a commitment to exploration and discovery. Taylor’s processed based work focuses on the loss of identity women often experience in traditional roles and the empowerment that is possible. The layering of her often tangled imagery, whether abstract or figurative, depicts wild yet fragile spaces that mirror the layers of the self and the complexities of what it means to be human. Tayo explores portals to foreign worlds created within antique objects. These portals show worlds during states of growth, decay, peril, and peace. The objects chosen have been included for their proximity to the home space where they have been absorbing sound, touch, and memory. Murphy’s expressive paintings focus on the dignity of the caregiver and the strength and beauty present in the everyday. She commits to embracing mundanity and elevating intimate moments through large scale figurative work. The interplay of these artists' works with one another allows for a deeper and more comprehensive story of contemporary women relating to the spaces they inhabit. Given this shared space, Taylor, Tayo, and Murphy elaborate on their concepts and create a dynamic narrative journey.”