Three Lady Art Exhibit at Cotton Candy Machine

Last night, artist Tara McPherson's Brooklyn art boutique/gallery, debuted the works of three inspiring lady painters.

The show, which was aptly titled, "That Which Does Not Kill You..." features pieces by Lori Nelson, Jessicka Addams (previously the frontwoman of indie band Jack Off Jill), and Lindsey Way (former member of the band, Mindless Self Indulgence).

While the trio take very different approaches to painting, they each have in common a flair for the surreal.

Nelson's works depict a kind of post apocalyptic city ravaged by nature or vice versa; subway cars are flooded, children go scavenging for electronic gadgets on beaches and in the woods, and computers screens glow, forgotten, under piles of earth. It's hard to decipher whether the children--who figure so frequently in her pieces and represent innocence--are meant to give viewers hope or show just how much society has deteriorated.

For, despite being surrounded by nature, they are nonetheless enraptured by technology.

Addams' pieces also take on heavy themes, but in a much different way. Her paintings depict satanic ghost cats and weeping females, together, exploring identity, vulnerability, and loss of innocence.

Her characters--who are the central focus of each painting--hover in black voids, suggesting isolation.

The cats seem to be a disembodiment of the girl figures' anxieties, and the girls themselves are disturbingly passive; in one particular case, the girl figure's head floats away from her body, illustrating a lack of connection to herself and reality.

Like her artist friends, Way is preoccupied with the surreal. Unlike the others, however, she takes a more abstract approach, creating curious dreamscapes using bright colors and geometric shapes.

Hooded figures in mottled cloaks ride horses, volcanic structures burst, shapes break and scatter off into space. There is definitely a futuristic feel to Way's work. Her minimalist compositions can be interpreted endlessly.

The works will be on display until June 8th, so if you find yourself in NYC, you should stop by. You can learn more about the Cotton Candy Machine's exhibits here: http://www.thecottoncandymachine.com/events/current/

More of Nelson's work: http://www.lorinelson.com/artist.asp?ArtistID=18397&AKey=7T568YEK
Addams's work: http://www.jessicka.com/
Way's work: http://www.lindseyway.com/index.html