The Expansive Baroque is a show featuring selected pieces from my most recent body of work exploring the intersection of Humanity and nature, with a focus on consumerism and consumption as a whole. These ideals are communicated through materials choices, namely single use plastic disposables and a variety of pre and post consumer trash products, as well as kitchy and faux luxury goods such as jewelry and pearls to further the narrative of illusion and deceit. The language of the baroque is interwoven through highly decorative maximalist motifs applied to classic french-victorian style natural history museum dioramas. These motifs are in direct disparity to the lowly trash-materials they are made from. The bulk of the show is a monochrome white, with the notable exception being a selection of three ceramic deer heads crowned with half a dozen horns and antler each. These were an exploration into the same themes of excess and possession. For more information visit https://sites.suffolk.edu/artgallery/home/expansive-baroque-zoe-friend/.
-Zoe Friend