Ennyman's Territory: Local Art Seen: Virago @ Kruk Gallery, UWS + A Reminder About North End Days

Sarah Riley

Last Thursday I visited the Virago exhibition in Kruk Gallery, UWS and Lizzard's opening reception for Murphy & Murphy. Virago, the title of the Kruk show, means, "a domineering, violent, or bad-tempered woman." Synonyms include harridan, shrew, dragon, termagant, vixen, fishwife, witch, hellcat, she-devil, tartar, martinet, spitfire and more. The archaic definition might be, "a woman of masculine strength or spirit, a female warrior." The trio of featured artists include Chelsey Rae, Jillian Dollars and Sarah Riley.

According to the accompanying handout, the word's Old English origin dates back to the Latin, "heroic woman, female warrior." The impression one gets is that it will be a show by women, featuring strength, fighters who refuse to be dominated, verified in Chelsey Rae's artist statement.

Chelsey Rae

"I knew that I wanted my body of work to focus on the idea of woman, of femininity, and of strength. I also knew that the two other Alumni that I exhibited with would have a similar theme in mind," Chelsey Rae states. "I came across the word virago in a search related to strong women. We never questioned the word and knew that it fit perfectly with our intentions of the exhibit."

Jillian Dollars pictures are about women who are courageous, powerful, resourceful, kind, smart, talented and funny as hell. "I want you to see these women," she states. "I want you to see their spirit and strength and vulnerability. I want you to see some of the many faces of this sisterhood... resilient and enduring women. I admire them and I am inspired by them, and you should be too."

Sarah Riley has found her inspiration in the human form and all its diversity and fascination. Her portraits consist of both people she's imagined and people whom she admires for their artistic endeavor and overall significance, in this life and in this world. Her aim is not simply to capture a likeness but also to capture something of the personality and demeanor of her subjects, a unique challenge every time. Rooted in the concept of "body positivity" it's her stated hope that the viewers of this series "feel empowered, validated and secure in their own unique beauty."