White Columns Online #4:

Stomach Acid Reflux

curated by Ellie Rines

November 4, 2017–January 27, 2018 Online
A bathroom scale translucently painted in red, purple and green with a seashell affixed to the center, a cast of a finger affixed to the lower edge and a small yellow puddle with glitter at the lower right corner.

Jennifer Sullivan
Enlightened Scale #2, 2016
Oil, shell, faux vomit, glitter, plaster cast of artist’s finger, and resin on body scale
13 × 12 inches
Courtesy of the artist

An embroidery of a collaged scene depicting four larger people standing, two behind a link fence, and a group of smaller people in an orgy. Another group of small people have a party, while others get a massage or stand around wearing gowns.

Sophia Narrett
Something Went Wrong, 2015
Embroidery thread, fabric
35 × 35 inches
Courtesy of the artist

Two people standing in gowns, as though being fitted for a runway presentation. Another two at the edge of the scene seem to be about to swim off a waterfall. All figures depicted in the work appear to be women.

Sophia Narrett
Something Went Wrong (detail), 2015
Embroidery thread, fabric
35 × 35 inches
Courtesy of the artist

A still life against a pink background depicting, from left to right, a slice of soft cheese, a glass of milk, two eggs and another slice of soft cheese. The objects are set on a highly reflective surface.

Diana Kingsley
Well-rounded Wives, 2015
Lambda print
33 × 24 inches
Courtesy of the artist

A painting of two small packets of Heinz ketchup, centered side by side against a soft background of pastel shades of pink, white, green and orange.

Amy Kligman
Untitled, 2016
Courtesy of the artist

A painting in the shape of a square, rotated forty-five degrees. The left and right corners respectively are filled with an orange and a pink arc, and two circles are partially cut out of them and left to hang.

Linda King Ferguson
Equivalence 60, 2016
Acrylic and stain
28 × 28 inches
Courtesy of the artist

A structure covered in beige and black yarn in the shape of the Old Prentice Women’s Hospital Building: three large pillars with openings at the bottom on a square base. A tissue comes out of a square box on top of the cylinders.

Kurt Treeby
Disposable: Prentice Women’s Hospital, 2015
Acrylic yarn, plastic canvas, tissue box
15 × 12 × 12 inches
Courtesy of the artist

Two views of hardened spray foam emerging from a spray foam can, sculpted to resemble an organic form.

Robert Rhee
Coral, 2016
Spray foam can
9 × 13 × 18 inches
Courtesy of the artist

Participating Artists

Linda King Ferguson
Diana Kingsley
Amy J Kligman
Sophia S Narrett
Robert Rhee
Jennifer Sullivan
Kurt Treeby

Exhibition Description

Stomach Acid Reflux, an online inventory that deals with the human body in a way that is somehow both grotesque and formally elegant.

Traditional themes–still life, formal abstraction–and traditional composition–symmetry, etc…– i.e. artistic practice of control is confounded by dysfunction and absurdity. Fake vomit on a scale, ketchup packets’ portrait, tits with nips carved out, tissuebox architecture, spray foam can ejaculation, dairy still life– all direct or subliminal hints to the disgusting bodily fluids resulting from the things we love and hate – sex, bodies, food. Everyday encounters, formalities, objects and commodities become subject to ridicule and admiration, sublimation and disgrace. Juxtapositions ferment and become putrid.

Sophia S Narett painstakingly needlepoints elaborate scenes from fantasy and illusion. In Something Went Wrong, orgies are juxtaposed to a series of women aimlessly wandering in ball gowns, a dead naked women lying on a fish tank. The composition is structured around crumbling architecture, barbed wire and a flank of female figures observing in confusion, disgust and ridicule.

Kurt Treeby knits an architectural model of Prentice Women’s Hospital then turns it into what feels like a beer coozy for a tissue box.

Linda King Ferguson’s surgical cuts yield formal absences. Though reminiscent of Lygia Clark or Polly Apfelbaum, the painting counteracts the joy of the colors with a sloughing off.

Diana Kingsley ’s dairy still life in a pink background. Entitling the work Well-rounded Wives evokes the low-level despair and boredom beneath the surface of a kitchen. Lactose overload.

Jennifer Sullivan features faux glitter vomit on a painted weight scale. Theatrical, humorous and a bit sinister.  From a “revenge body” series — the tableau lives up to the title.

Amy J Kligman ketchup packet still life. Curiously bulbous. Employing immense detail similar to the way Narrett does but much more laconic.

Robert Rhee in Coral uses a spray foam can to create a bizarre yellow foam shape. Rhee discusses “rubber necking” in his artist statement. This could have been another title for my online selection of works — looking at something gross and candid out of habit and curiosity.

Ellie Rines is founder of 56 Henry gallery and a director of Ceysson & Bénétière.

This exhibition is the forth in a series of online exhibitions curated exclusively from White Columns’ Curated Artist Registry.

For more information: registry.whitecolumns.org

A bathroom scale translucently painted in red, purple and green with a seashell affixed to the center, a cast of a finger affixed to the lower edge and a small yellow puddle with glitter at the lower right corner.
An embroidery of a collaged scene depicting four larger people standing, two behind a link fence, and a group of smaller people in an orgy. Another group of small people have a party, while others get a massage or stand around wearing gowns.
Two people standing in gowns, as though being fitted for a runway presentation. Another two at the edge of the scene seem to be about to swim off a waterfall. All figures depicted in the work appear to be women.
A still life against a pink background depicting, from left to right, a slice of soft cheese, a glass of milk, two eggs and another slice of soft cheese. The objects are set on a highly reflective surface.
A painting of two small packets of Heinz ketchup, centered side by side against a soft background of pastel shades of pink, white, green and orange.
A painting in the shape of a square, rotated forty-five degrees. The left and right corners respectively are filled with an orange and a pink arc, and two circles are partially cut out of them and left to hang.
A structure covered in beige and black yarn in the shape of the Old Prentice Women’s Hospital Building: three large pillars with openings at the bottom on a square base. A tissue comes out of a square box on top of the cylinders.
Two views of hardened spray foam emerging from a spray foam can, sculpted to resemble an organic form.

Jennifer Sullivan
Enlightened Scale #2, 2016
Oil, shell, faux vomit, glitter, plaster cast of artist’s finger, and resin on body scale
13 × 12 inches
Courtesy of the artist (A bathroom scale translucently painted in red, purple and green with a seashell affixed to the center, a cast of a finger affixed to the lower edge and a small yellow puddle with glitter at the lower right corner.)

Sophia Narrett
Something Went Wrong, 2015
Embroidery thread, fabric
35 × 35 inches
Courtesy of the artist (An embroidery of a collaged scene depicting four larger people standing, two behind a link fence, and a group of smaller people in an orgy. Another group of small people have a party, while others get a massage or stand around wearing gowns.)

Sophia Narrett
Something Went Wrong (detail), 2015
Embroidery thread, fabric
35 × 35 inches
Courtesy of the artist (Two people standing in gowns, as though being fitted for a runway presentation. Another two at the edge of the scene seem to be about to swim off a waterfall. All figures depicted in the work appear to be women.)

Diana Kingsley
Well-rounded Wives, 2015
Lambda print
33 × 24 inches
Courtesy of the artist (A still life against a pink background depicting, from left to right, a slice of soft cheese, a glass of milk, two eggs and another slice of soft cheese. The objects are set on a highly reflective surface.)

Amy Kligman
Untitled, 2016
Courtesy of the artist (A painting of two small packets of Heinz ketchup, centered side by side against a soft background of pastel shades of pink, white, green and orange.)

Linda King Ferguson
Equivalence 60, 2016
Acrylic and stain
28 × 28 inches
Courtesy of the artist (A painting in the shape of a square, rotated forty-five degrees. The left and right corners respectively are filled with an orange and a pink arc, and two circles are partially cut out of them and left to hang.)

Kurt Treeby
Disposable: Prentice Women’s Hospital, 2015
Acrylic yarn, plastic canvas, tissue box
15 × 12 × 12 inches
Courtesy of the artist (A structure covered in beige and black yarn in the shape of the Old Prentice Women’s Hospital Building: three large pillars with openings at the bottom on a square base. A tissue comes out of a square box on top of the cylinders.)

Robert Rhee
Coral, 2016
Spray foam can
9 × 13 × 18 inches
Courtesy of the artist (Two views of hardened spray foam emerging from a spray foam can, sculpted to resemble an organic form.)