#arttank

Above photo by Ashley Rosas (@ashleyrosas)

Walking into 529 Bangs ave. brought shift to the surrounding city of Asbury Park. As white walls speak to the twisting sculpted vulnerabilities by Carrie Ruddick; the sharp vigilance of black ink to papers by Morgan Daly. Unlike the art experienced in the surrounding streets, there is a sense of darkened magic sewn into the white stoic untouched space, The Carrie and Morgan Show.

When looking at the curvature of Carrie’s sculpture I rouse the thought of female and female presenting organs. Sighting the intensity of mother nature’s dying plant to that of feminine rebirth of new growth. Feminine energy cultivating an understanding of life’s cycle while finding soft laughter amid it. Whether said be intentional, I think that intention is sewed in:

The space looks so different during the day than at night. At night, the LED ceiling lights clinch the softness away. There is a coolness in the warm colors of sun bouncing off the whipped cream  white walls. Conversing with Carrie shawls the glow of an afternoon sun over the artist’s being. The energy of sun spurs texture to the pulse of the walls and floor. 

The honey oak floors creak with the step of slow feet to the curling arms of death ridden flowers grounded in naked space. Purple, pink, and yellow pastels illuminate beneath cream plaster. Color becomes a shadow that cradles some sense of what life is left of the limping petrified vegetation. Just as the ceiling fan spirals shadows on the eyes, you can turn to the intimacy of Morgan’s drawings on the walls. Each line retraceable in sharp turns taking flight in a hot air balloon, flowers, clothing, machinery. Objects of memory lofting from change. 

“Even if you don’t look at these and think flowers or plants, they all have this subtle pastel. It’s not a completely dark moment.” 

“We had no definite idea for these pieces,” shares Carrie.

However through discussion, inspiration flowered within the relationship of death and humor. A like minded train of thought Carrie and Morgan couldn’t ignore.

Looking over to my left stands the face of a half oval ushering from the ground. Pointing in my eye stands tusks peeling out from a purple and grey tombstone made of foam, plaster and acrylic; the common half oval of a body’s remembrance pointing mountains of light sits. Pulling myself into a cartoon, each tomb stone blooms after growing a belly full of flowers left by living company before hibernation. I, a passerby, feel the warm sun burrow into the ground—night upon us. 

Each sculptor a bouquet to rest beneath a tombstone--a sort of memorial. 

Speaking to Carrie is as if part of entering a cloud of imagery. She composes each sentence a rich song of her heart. The artist explains the stream of consciousness that over took her senses for sculptor. As her pieces would change per application of plaster on foam tubing she decided to let nature curate her work’s growth. “I’m going to let these pieces be what they become,” said Carrie noting gravity’s might to pull her work to the ground. 

“Because I was thinking in ways of death, these weighed droopy things felt in line to me,” the sculptor sighs in memory of having only a month to ready herself for opening night earlier this July. 

Working with sculptor, she says, is working with reality. 

Whilst crafting each piece Carrie noticed she hadn't watered her own plants. “I was subconsciously creating versions of my dying wilting plants. I let that stay in my mind as I continued to work.”

Morgan, decided to use drawings that aligned with the rumination of death and humor. In fact, Carrie notes how on lookers felt her sculptors and Morgan’s drawings were purposefully in sync. However, their work was build separately and Morgan had been drawing the pieces before the show was in purview. 

Downtown Asbury Park art seems to venture away from the sentiments of death better tackling the love that is known here. The art presented by Morgan and Carrie exudes as much soul as the live show bills Little Dickman Records organize Downtown; there is distinction—a new color of expression listening to Fruit Tones, Shark Muffin, and so many more. Parlor Gallery derives from that same distinction, bound in the heart of punk where and when DIY music spaces curated to more intersectional narratives. Carrie and Morgan showed up. No one asked them to be here. Carrie said she felt she has yet to share her art with this city she has built such community with.

When looking at the curvature of Carrie’s sculpture I rouse the thought of female and female presenting organs. Sighting the intensity of mother nature’s dying plant to that of feminine rebirth of new growth. Feminine energy cultivating an understanding of life’s cycle while finding soft laughter amid it. Whether said be intentional, I think that intention is sewed in:

Morgan and Carrie went to school in a small sculptor department where they learned under male professors who were very influential and supportive of them. “We often have that conversation of what would we be making or what would it be like if we were taught under a woman. what would it be like if we had a female role model in sculptor that we had a direct relationship with? Being in their early twenties then the two artists also hadn’t come to realize how they felt about their genders, so there was this subconscious pressure to be more like a man in sculptor. 

 “In being a sculptor, you are a builder; it is a labor I really enjoy. I love physical labor, I love building things.”  Although their male role models were amazing lot of their work had took from male reference or critique. They loved mastering this craft. They loved the ability to be self sufficient with stereotypical masculine tasks such as melding or foundry. 

“I think that this work is subconsciously has been, and will always be, in someways a response to those things.” As a result, these sculptors represent all the things a woman does not have to be in terms of a clean cut and crafty stereotype. To create something smooth and beautiful. 

“I feel like as a woman it means so much to have the power and choice to make a beautiful thing ugly because I can.” 

Please come back with your truth and hearts Carrie and Morgan. Much love.