Menu
The New Contemporary Art Magazine

On View: “The Fourth World” at Arch Enemy Arts

"The Fourth World" is the utopian group show at Arch Enemy Arts in Philadelphia centered around the concept of a secular paradise populated by fantastical creatures ("heaven without religion," according to the gallery). The interdisciplinary artists in the show focus on character-based 3D work. There's Erika Sanada (Hi-Fructose Vol. 31), whose dog sculptures examine animal instincts and impulses. Then there's the delicate, taxidermy-like works of Caitlin McCormack; the ornamented bone sculptures of Chris Haas; Doubleparlour's mutated creations and Adam Wallacavage's tentacled chandeliers. While the idea of "The Fourth World" hints at an idealized wonderland, there are notes of darkness in many of the works. But for a group of artists with a penchant for surrealism, there's really no other way.


Caitlin McCormack

“The Fourth World” is the utopian group show at Arch Enemy Arts in Philadelphia centered around the concept of a secular paradise populated by fantastical creatures (“heaven without religion,” according to the gallery). The interdisciplinary artists in the show focus on character-based 3D work. There’s Erika Sanada (Hi-Fructose Vol. 31), whose dog sculptures examine animal instincts and impulses. Then there’s the delicate, taxidermy-like works of Caitlin McCormack; the ornamented bone sculptures of Chris Haas; Doubleparlour’s mutated creations and Adam Wallacavage’s tentacled chandeliers. While the idea of “The Fourth World” hints at an idealized wonderland, there are notes of darkness in many of the works. But for a group of artists with a penchant for surrealism, there’s really no other way.

“The Fourth World” is on view at Arch Enemy Arts through July 6.


Erika Sanada


Adam Wallacavage


Doubleparlour


Wesley T. Wright


Kristen Egan


Chris Haas

Meta
Share
Facebook
Reddit
Pinterest
Email
Related Articles
Nothing beat a cardboard box growing up because it wasn't just made of cardboard. Cardboard could instantly become your ticket to a rocket on the moon or your dream fortress where you ruled the world. Using this simple material and a lot of imagination, artist duo Zoey Taylor and David Connelly have built the world they wish to live in. They call it "The House of Cardboard", better known as "Dosshaus". The two (or as they say, "Les Deux") first met in 2010 and it was a match made in heaven that works together as a team, cutting and gluing together the cardboard pieces into life size installations, which feature the creative couple living in a monochromatic black and white house.
Life and death are major themes explored through the work of Claire Morgan, a U.K.-based artist who uses taxidermy and invisible wire to create objects that express both ideas. The result is a moment in time, one that conveys the beauty of the animal, its fragility, and our own strained relationship with nature. In a statement, Morgan says, “Through my work, I am looking at everyday life and death; and the ideas of entertainment, consumption, meaninglessness and loneliness are a part of that.”
Collective Poncili Creacion combines puppetry, performance, and sculpture for odd, vibrant shows across the globe. The group, led by identical twins Pablo and Efrain Del Hierro, describes itself as facilitating “interactions between the fields of Objects and Reality.” In each of their projects, they refer to the wearable creatures and interactive sculptures they build as “objects.”
Mexico-born artist Salvador Jiménez-Flores uses several approaches to delve into identity and the convergence of cultures. A recent project in particular, titled "The Resistance of the Hybrid Cacti," uses ceramics to look at these concepts and more. The artist says that “through art, I seek to resist the labels put upon me and other people of color by reimagining what an alternative future could look like.”

Subscribe to the Hi-Fructose Mailing List