Allison Sommers and Esao Andrews
Thinkspace Gallery opened 2012 with Esao Andrews’ long-anticipated solo exhibit “NOWHERE”- the title implying stand-alone concepts linked by striking imagery of Esao’s familiar anthropomorphic subjects. A few weeks ago, a studio visit by Hi-Fructose revealed the inspiration behind Esao’s unique blend of such motifs as cats, bones, ornate design, to wisps of hair on haunting figures. Esao has created a body of work that he feels represents the calm between the past and starting anew, a change in the seasons. In “Homesteader,” a weathered farmer smokes a pipe as a white dove, a universal symbol for hope, lays motionless in his pocket. Other works, such as “Echinacea” bring color and the promise of new life into the exhibition. In the project room, “Potter’s Field” by Allison Sommers (who’s studio we visited here) continues the mix of sweetness and dark with a narrative inspired by times of war. – Caro
