Lauren Kalman and Millee Tibbs

ARC Gallery's August exhibition features the photography of Lauren Kalman and Millee Tibbs.
July 24, 2013 – August 17, 2013
Opening reception on Friday, July 26, 2013 from 6-9 p.m.

Unicorn 1   Millee Tibbs

Through the use of prosthetics and augmentations Lauren Kalman and Millee Tibbs’ work uses transformational objects to explore the desire for the ideal, but somewhere in that attempt the ideal becomes mutated or deflated.

Spectacular combines image making and garment construction techniques with a critical investigation into the depiction of illness, stigmas of illness, and sexualizing of the abnormal, in both contemporary and nineteenth century visual culture. The materials are chosen because of their connection to accumulation of wealth, privilege, and style. The wearable objects are derived from contemporary and nineteenth century medical images and portraits of side show “freaks.”

The series Virgin Land, Wyoming explores the desire to make the imaginary into the real.  Prosthetic unicorn horns are fitted onto horses at a tourist destination ranch resort in Wyoming. The unicorn horn departs from its traditional representation as fantasy and presents itself as an anti-heroic, phallic augmentation that feminizes its wearer, calling into question the mythic masculinity aligned with the West.