Mixed Breed. Lois Simbach, artist
Creature Comforts, an exhibition exploring the pleasures and conveniences of daily life, will open at Marshall’s Flow Gallery on Thursday, October 1, continuing through Saturday, November 7. The exhibition brings together nine artists working across painting, ceramics, fiber, wood, glass and mixed media: Anna Dlougolenskaia, Beth Elliott, Michael Hatch, Jacqueline Maloney, Kari Morton, Jo Mosser, Lois Simbach, Vasanto and Sebastiaan Zip.
For Simbach, a textile, fashion and costume designer and artist, the exhibition title prompted a return to an art form she first developed decades ago: three-dimensional, stuffed and hand-painted dog and cat pillows.
The Connoisseur. Anna Dlougolenskaia, artist
“I have been making these pillows since the late 1990s after a fellow artist’s suggestion,” Simbach says. “The title for this show ‘creature’ inspired me to create new ones. My painting has also improved since 20 years ago, and these are coming out more realistic and really cute.”
She has also incorporated tapestry salesman samples into the backs of the new pillows. While Simbach once sold the pieces under the name Pet Peeves, she now labels them simbachdesign. The appeal of the work, she says, is often immediate.
“When people see these dog pillows, their face lights up,” Simbach says. “Children hug them. I’m told even the family dog curls up with them.”
Dlougolenskaia, a soft sculpture artist and former textile artist, also found inspiration in the exhibition title. Her response began with an animal particularly skilled at seeking comfort.
“When I heard the title of this show, my first thought was: cats,” Dlougolenskaia says. “Cats are creatures all about comfort, and the one I created for this show is no exception.”
Her cat enjoys some decidedly human comforts, relaxing in a tub with a glass of wine. Another work depicts a family of mice, with a baby watching its mother do laundry. Dlougolenskaia’s characters frequently inhabit these sorts of ordinary moments, whether they are doing chores, fishing, strolling or sailing in coconut shells.
“I think that the bliss of mundane life is the prevailing theme behind my sculptures,” Dlougolenskaia says. “Some characters are quirkier than others, but each one exists in its own niche, fitting in it as comfortably as it can.”
Flow Gallery is located at 14 South Main Street in Marshall. Learn more at FlowMarshall.com.
