Poison

I participated in the group exhibition Poison at Curious Matter, on view from April 5 - May 17, 2009 with the following artists:

Aica
John Belardo
Arthur Bruso
Carrie Fucile
Christy Georg
Andrew Graham
Gail Goldsmith
Lee Johnson
Kay Kenny
Kevin A. Kepple
Ross Bennett Lewis
Kenric McDowell
Raymond E. Mingst
Jeanne Mischo
Sarah Pfohl
Matt Pych
Kara Smith
Kikuko Tanaka
P. Teramode
Kelly Vetter
Kimberly Witham
Brandy Wolfe

Following is the first paragraph of the catalog essay which explains the theme:

When the desire to find a passive, sophisticated method of eliminating undesirable people becomes a consideration, poison has captured the imagination for millennia. It appears in folk tales, fairy tales, opera and murder mysteries. Poisoning has become the clean, classic way evil characters subdue and eliminate a rival without the use of brute force. Historically, there have been many instances of poisoning to clear the way to a throne, a court position or an inheritance. Lucrezia Borgia gained her notoriety as a Renaissance beauty who seduced and then subsumed several gentlemen who stood in the way of her brothers strivings for power. But poison is not just a substance used to remove inconvenient competition. Curious Matter explores the different ways artists respond to this concept.

The entire essay may be read at Curious Matter. The Poison catalog is available from lulu.com.