Subterranea

Beyond the familiarity of the earthen surface, lies a mythical understory - fraught with illusion and clouded with iridescence. This place echoes the landscape above, distinct and unbound from the rituals of the sun-kissed plains. Though stifled by the dark, the world underground thrives; a forged realm of unimaginable richness. Slowly, but surely, as blurred vision finds its way through the murk, concealed beauty is revealed. In this enchanting group show, artists Ian Cato, Logan Criley, Beáta Hechtová, Gillian Haigh, Emily Rose Rudnick, Robert Sipchen, Laura Soto, and Evelyn Tan harmoniously tell a tale of inky mysticism, a story that can only be told from depths below.

To wander into a lava tube, a limestone cavern, or a crystal clear cenote, is without question, a thrilling experience. The change in the air quality, the shift in temperature, the sense of extraordinary weight hovering above you, immediately turns any curious mind into an accomplished spelunker; a seeker of the unexpected. The explorer is washed over with a remarkable feeling of insight; the underground is not simply a void beneath our feet, but rather a place teeming with abundance. Though baffling, this compelling realization is obvious. The inconceivable amount of mass that makes up the majority of our iron rich planet, is actually a limitless ecosystem.

Together we step into a subterranean sanctuary, where every corner is shrouded in shadow and rays of unnatural light speckle our field of vision. The air is thick with the whispers of layered rock and the promise of hidden beauty beckons us from a distance. This domain is where the known world fades, and the only thing that reigns supreme is that which simmers in the mind’s eye. Supported by their works, the artists in this exhibition guide us through a series of shafts and tunnels, each twist and turn unveiling a glimmer of truth, an unexpected narrative formed in obscurity.

What is seldom seen, is to be cherished, studied, maybe even coveted. Or perhaps, the pioneer’s need to uncover undiscovered territory, is in itself problematic; a futile pursuit. Whatever the case may be, the wonders around us are endlessly fascinating, especially those that have never seen the light of day. To lift a rock, and examine the microcosm that exists under its bulk, is to break into a singularly unique world; a portal into the unknown.