"The Beastiarium" Exhibition Opening

“They are called 'beasts' from the force with which they rage. They are called 'wild' because they enjoy their natural liberty and are borne along by their desires.” - The Aberdeen Bestiary, 12th century

In the illuminated manuscripts of medieval bestiaries, monks ordered the natural world by categories: birds, beasts, trees, stones. Before the development of modern taxonomy, these were attempts to define the immensity and complexity of nature. In this exhibition, multimedia artists Swen Swihart-Decoster (he/him) and Adam Arquilla (they/them) consider their own stable of beasts. Both artists pull from the discipline of scientific illustration. Swihart-Decoster embroiders delicate representations of fungi and plants while Arquilla, working in ceramic sculpture and a wide range of painting techniques, binds animal parts together into strange, personal hybrids. They also draw from world mythology - large canvases include figures ranging from folkloric kobolds to the Greek serpent deity, Phanes, all drifting in and out of a thick haze. They appear alongside characters from the the inner worlds of the two creators, as well as intimate portraits that the artists painted of one another. According to Swihart-Decoster, it's an exhibition about "the duality of observing and being observed."

Join our reception during the Bridgeport Art Center's Open Studios on September 20th from 6-9 pm. The immersive show will be on view until November 1.