Press Release: Stranger Danger

A solo exhibition featuring the artwork by Stephanie Todhunter

February 1 – February 25, 2018
Opening reception: Friday, February 2, 5 – 8 p.m.

Abigail Ogilvy Gallery is proud to present Stranger Danger, a solo exhibition by Stephanie Todhunter. Todhunter began working on the latchkey kids series in 2014. The backbone of the series is an ongoing succession of plaster encased vintage dolls, each re-colored and re-named. The process of plastering and inking gives the originally identical doll forms new personalities. Todhunter takes photographic portraits of these found lost girls, and uses the images in larger mixed media pieces- trying to refine their identities further. She uses this exploration of their individual stories to reflect on growing up in the late 70's and early 80's- a period of increasing divorce rates, isolation, and lack of parental responsibility.

marcy, 11 x 9 in.plaster, found object, inks

The plaster encased girls (reminiscent of Han Solo encased in carbonite) start as vintage Dawn dolls from the 1970s. These dolls were only made for a brief amount of time and generally only remembered by the GenX demographic. Dawn dolls are smaller than Barbies and, although they have exaggerated, waspish waists and perky breasts, are “tweenish” in age. They were small, generic, easy to carry and easy to lose.

Once the dolls have been plastered and inked, they develop distinct and often unsettling features and personalities. The photographic portraits Todhunter takes of each girl capture and highlight these quirks. The artist then gives each girl her own generation-and-personality-appropriate name.

Her larger artworks use these same images as means to create a narrative about the lost girls. Common themes are isolation, stranger danger, missing children, parental neglect, and lord-of-the-flies-like adventure in small town suburbia. Todhunter intentionally contrasts these themes with those found in contemporary parenting: constant stimulation of the internet, helicopter parenting, snowflake children, online bullying- all of which are creating a new form of isolation among children today.

Stephanie Todhunter grew up in the late 70s/early 80s in the Midwest, and was moved from small town to small town by her single, working mother. Immediacy and experimentation are essential to her multidisciplinary practice. Todhunter's work has been included in group exhibitions and featured in solo shows across New England, and is held in private collections around the world. Most recently, Stephanie was awarded the 2017 Artist of the Year by the Cambridge Art Association, and her work was the front-cover feature of the March/April 2017 issue of Artscope. She lives and works outside of Boston, MA. 

Install shot from Stranger Danger at Abigail Ogilvy Gallery

New Year's Resolution: Start Collecting Art

A Guide to Making and Keeping Your Art Collecting Resolution in 2018

It’s that time of year again. We pledge to eat healthier, be happier, and throw money at pricey gym memberships we’ll never actually use. Here’s one resolution worth sticking to: start collecting art. 

Why should I start collecting art?

Unlike that gym membership, the perfect piece of art has no expiration date, no cancellation fees, and is something that you’ll enjoy and appreciate in your home every day. There are also no excuses; technology has made it easier than ever to purchase art. You can buy a painting from the comfort of your living room sofa with the touch of a button.

Buying a contemporary artwork is more than just a monetary transaction. Its value and impact extends far beyond the number on the price tag and its place on your wall. When you buy an artwork, you are investing in your community, promoting the arts as a cultural institution, bolstering the career of an emerging or mid-career artist, and possibly, embracing a meaningful message or cause. 

Identify & Develop Your Taste:

The first step to collecting is knowing what you like and what you don’t like. Collecting art is less about aesthetics and more about self-expression. The best piece of art—the one that’s truly worth your investment—is something that captivates you both visually and emotionally. That something is different for everyone; taste is personal. The more time you put in, the more you’ll refine and clarify your personal taste.

If you aren’t exactly sure what speaks to you, look around and see what’s out there. Visit auctions, galleries, and museums. Events like SoWa Boston’s First Friday are great opportunities to explore a diverse range of styles and converse with gallerists and artists alike. Browse through websites like Artnet and Artsy. Scroll through Instagram (try #contemporaryart). The educational process of collecting is an ongoing one… The more informed you become, the easier it will be to identify what you like or dislike and why.

Installation of Soul Sea I (2017)
Natalia Wróbel. Oil on canvas. 72x60 in.

Know Your Budget:

Art collecting is for everyone. Whether your budget is $100 or $100,000, there is something out there for you. Buying and collecting art should be easy and affordable, and fine art should be accessible to everyone. Don’t be discouraged from pursuing an artwork a little out of your price range. ArtMoney is a great tool for fitting that once-in-a-lifetime, have-to-have-it piece into your  budget with monthly payment plans.

Most importantly, make sure it’s something you love:

Always acknowledge what you like, regardless of what you may think you’re supposed to like or what is current. Your art collection is a reflection of you, so be true to your personal taste. The real value of collecting comes from the enjoyment of having a great piece of art in your home, not from the potential of re-selling at a higher price. Your art collection is an embodiment of your identity and individuality, much like the clothes you wear or the music you listen to. Over time, your collection will expand and evolve, becoming a visual diary of your life and a timeline of your personal evolution.

Artist Spotlight: Victoria V. Nunley

Each artwork by Victoria Nunley starts with a story or memory from her adolescent years growing up in a rural part of New Jersey. Sometimes the story is specifically drawn from her childhood and other times it’s a familiar feeling like having to peel off a band-aid when you have hairy arms or going to the beach and not wanting to show skin.

Gouaches and drawings hanging in Nunley's studio.

Nunley’s paintings begin with a drawing of her concept which develops into a small gouache painting. While she plans 80 percent of the artwork, Nunley noted that it is hard to predict the end result of a larger painting: “When something gets scaled up so big, suddenly there’s room for even more things to happen— intensifying color, compressing or pushing space, jokes. That’s why scaling up and doing a bigger painting can be so exciting.”

V.V’s flat, cartoonish visual style speaks to her themes of the life and times of her generation. Her aesthetic pulls in the audiences; sprinkling idioms the majority of people can pick up on, which solidifies her humor in a very authentic manner. Nunley uses her experiences, both first and second hand, as anchor points for her work. She often reminisces with her best friends, who grew up with her, about their past. They find humor in times during the teenage years that seemed as if the world was falling apart. They recollect on first kisses, spreading and hearing gossip, bad advice columns in magazines, each remembering the story slightly different from each other. Nunley reflects on these moments, emphasizing that “these stories only exist through verbal retelling, and through my work”. 

In her work HOT GOSSIP, the viewer witnesses the exact moment a friend bursts into the other’s home, catching the other completely off guard and startling her. Phone in hand, blurting out the latest gossip, Nunley says the inspiration was drawn from moments of her friends rushing into her home, saying things like “Did you hear Hannah wants to fight Jen because of Tommy?!”  or, “Did you hear Dawn drove her car into someone’s house?!” Upon closer examination, the details of the poor advice magazine, hair barrettes, clothing and nail polish subconsciously inform us of the subjects age.

While at first glance the viewers may laugh at the dramatic scenes and exaggerated expressions, Nunley wants her subjects to be taken seriously. Just like real teenagers, they are completely genuine in their feelings. Rather than the viewers oversimplifying or brushing off the subject’s emotions, Nunley emphasizing that these adolescents do not have the hindsight that the viewers do.

A MFA candidate at Boston University, Nunley's desire to be an artist predates her memory. Drawing inspiration genres such as manga, anime and cartoons, she also cites the work of artists like Mark Thomas Gibson, Sanya Kantarovsky and Jane Corrigan, among other influencers. 

Join us on January 21st for a live painting by Victoria V. Nunley from 11 - 4 pm. More details available here!

Book Release: When To Jump by Mike Lewis

Coming in January 2018: When To Jump, a book that features dozens of stories from people who made a change in their lives and never looked back. Featuring the story of our gallery Director, Abigail Ogilvy Ryan! In Mike Lewis' first book, you can find inspiration in the diverse group of "jumpers" who listened to that voice in their head and stepped into a new role at work, started businesses, and made a difference in their own lives. Available to pre-order now on Amazon.