Event
thick, hazy, cleer, blew
Shona Macdonald
Real Art Ways presents thick, hazy, cleer, blew, a solo exhibition by Shona Macdonald.
thick, hazy, cleer, blew explores the effects of weather as ephemeral, mundane records of our daily lives. In addition to weather and forecasts, these three bodies of work explore the atmosphere and atmospheric perspective.
‘The Vapors so Whiten’ series pulls imagery out of layers of dusty pigment applied to toned paper. Small in scale, these works depict either cars driving in and out of visibility on roads with no beginning or end. With no points of reference, it is often uncertain in which direction the vehicles are heading. In the ‘Car, Eyes’ series, floating cars bob amidst unidentified bodies of water; adrift, they are rendered useless. The third series, ‘Blow In’ suggests images of laundry, flags, and leaves, all being buffeted by the effects of wind.
Macdonald engages with qualities of atmosphere through slow and muted approaches. The laborious, hand-made nature of her work leads to a more embodied experience of what the weather means and how it affects us physically and imaginatively while the indecipherable atmosphere she conjures from multiple layers of pencil marks coupled with hazy imagery leads, ultimately, to a kind of disorienting opacity.
Curator’s Comment:
Shona Macdonald’s lush and intimate drawings reflect on our complicated relationship with weather. In a sleight of hand, the work depicts the molecules around its subject matter as well as the subject matter itself. Her laborious attention to the space between the viewer and the viewed is a demonstration of envelopment. What happens when the water surrounds us? We float; or we don’t.
Weather effects our sense of time. Weather patterns cycle, as with our orbit, on a scale that is greater than our ability to fully understand it. Some would say that human action holds an insignificant weight against the scale of these orbital systems. The world will spin and wash itself occasionally.
The subject matter in these works are engulfed by atmosphere; whether in its liquid form, a dense mist, or thick air. The result is a lopsided example of conflict. The cars (nor the cloth) have any real power within these compositions. They hang at the whim of a grander order- one made of microscopic elements; molecules, particles, pigments. I find an odd peace in the hopeless future of these characters, as they crowdsurf across color towards an unknown fate.
This work makes me feel small in the greatest of ways. It reminds me of humanity’s pixel-sized significance within the history of what Carl Sagan called “[our] pale blue dot.” The majority of my existence has been spent feeling in control, under control, or out of control. But, when I view these works I don’t consider control at all. I feel like a particle; amidst a wave of something I’m not meant to understand. I like that feeling.
Acquiescence is the reluctant acceptance of something without protest. Politically, I find this concept revolting but, spiritually I find it necessary. At some point, we’ve all been caught in a storm. Whether we dodge the rain, seek shelter, or face the skies, there comes a point where our shoulders drop, and we acquiesce as the sky comes falling down.
-Peter Albano
About the Artist
Shona Macdonald was born in Scotland and currently lives in Western Massachusetts. Selected solo exhibitions include McDonough Museum of Art, (2023), Zillman Art Museum, (2020-21), Brattleboro Art Center and Museum (2018), Roswell Art Museum, (2011), Tarble Arts Center (2015), Gridspace, (2014) Engine Room, Wellington, New Zealand, (2010), Proof Gallery, Boston, MA (2009), Reeves Contemporary, NY, NY (2008), Den Contemporary, LA, CA, (2007) and Galerie Refugium, Berlin, Germany, (2002.) Two person exhibitions include the Ballina Art Center, Ireland (2022), Dayton Art Center (2018,) and Linden Sculpture Garden (2012.) She has shown in over 100 group exhibitions across the United States, UK, Australia, and Canada. Reviews of her work include Art in America, Art News, LA Times, Chicago Tribune, Chicago Sun Times, Sacramento Bee, and Boston Globe. She has been an invited Visiting Artist at over fifty institutions, including The University of Wyoming (2023), Georgia State University (2007), the University of Alberta, and the University of Calgary, Canada, (both 2002). Shona Macdonald is a 2009 recipient of a Pollock-Krasner Foundation award. Selected artist residencies include UCross, Ragdale, VCCA, Roswell, Kimmel Harding Nelson, and internationally, at Can Serrat, Spain, Ballinglen and the Tyrone Guthrie Centre, both Ireland.
