Toxic Gardens

Caroline Larsen

Christian Little

Jack Henry

Sarah Weber

Sarah Zapata

Greenpoint Terminal Gallery is pleased to present a group show evocative of the season, including work from five artists. Entitled Toxic Gardens, the exhibition embodies traits of a secret garden - a space that is secluded, paradisiacal, entangled in foliage - abundant in layers and depth. Sometimes it feels like everything sticks together in warm weather, and, in line, the artists in the show are united by an interest to intermix materials and subjects not traditionally tied. Caroline Larsen, Jack Henry, and Sarah Zapata are paragons of combining materials by innovative means. Caroline Larsen employs an atypical paint application, weaving together icing-thick strips of oil paint that grow into lush representations of plant-life; Jack Henry vertically pours traditional art materials (like paint, cement, and resin) onto found objects (like decayed house plants) to create multi-textured capsules; Sarah Zapata weaves alien objects (like plastic feet) into overgrown rainbow fabric. Her work investigates cultural and gender identity while subtly including moments of fetish. The exhibition layers romantic narratives into imaginative dreamscapes. Virgin innocence is combatted by tempting curiosities. Christian Little’s paintings uncover quiet Eden-esque moments. If you look closely, Exibitionists 23 (Camo) reveals a peeping tom in the boscage. This verdant density is prevalent in Sarah Weber’s watercolors; she thickly layers brushstrokes, so they accumulate into tantalizing impressions of wild flora. The work provokes a desire to push back the layers to reveal what lies behind the leaves.