CUNSTHAUS
Work it out | Caitlin Albritton :: Opening Reception
Friday, September 1, 2017
6 to 9pm
CUNSTHAUS is pleased to present Work it out, by Caitlin Albritton. This solo exhibit of oil on canvas works is from the artist's Gym Series, which examines the gym as a place where everyday antics are amplified in a stage-like environment where there is a hyperawareness of our bodies in a public space. This artificial space is a surrogate of other spheres of our lives that intensify competition, gender issues, body politics, and the propaganda of progress.
As gym culture continues to grow, the grounds are quickly shifting with regard to gym fashion, body trends, and the commercialization of strength, self-confidence, and happiness. Taking inspiration from trips to her local gym, Albritton is interested in exploring the politics of looking through both male and female gazes, as people sneak glimpses of others through makeshift windows in gym equipment or other visual screens. As the backlash against the heroic or romantic notions of bodily perfection is glorified on social media, this collection of work emphasizes the absurd and strangeness of the body as well as serious topics through this empathetic humor.
There is an old gym motto, “Work until failure,” that seems to describe the self as a machine. When we ask a stranger, “What do you do? ” we are validating ourselves by our production. Our bodies and minds try to keep up with an unattainable mechanical sensibility; which is something the artist plans on further exploring in future performances. Inspired by this concept of physical workload Albritton’s work reflects a society that is overworked.
Work it out will open at CUNSTHAUS on Friday, September 1st, in conjunction with First Friday Art in the Heights. The show runs until Saturday, September 30th.
Caitlin Albritton was born and raised in Tampa, Florida. She graduated from Savannah College of Art and Design in 2012 in painting and a minor in ceramics. She has exhibited her works in galleries in Florida, Georgia, New York, and Texas. Eight of her paintings are in SCAD’s Permanent Collection. She is currently a low-residency Studio Art MFA student at Maryland Institute College of Art, but lives and works in Tampa, Florida.
Cover image: Yoga (Partner Stretches), 42 x 56 in., oil on canvas, 2017
As gym culture continues to grow, the grounds are quickly shifting with regard to gym fashion, body trends, and the commercialization of strength, self-confidence, and happiness. Taking inspiration from trips to her local gym, Albritton is interested in exploring the politics of looking through both male and female gazes, as people sneak glimpses of others through makeshift windows in gym equipment or other visual screens. As the backlash against the heroic or romantic notions of bodily perfection is glorified on social media, this collection of work emphasizes the absurd and strangeness of the body as well as serious topics through this empathetic humor.
There is an old gym motto, “Work until failure,” that seems to describe the self as a machine. When we ask a stranger, “What do you do? ” we are validating ourselves by our production. Our bodies and minds try to keep up with an unattainable mechanical sensibility; which is something the artist plans on further exploring in future performances. Inspired by this concept of physical workload Albritton’s work reflects a society that is overworked.
Work it out will open at CUNSTHAUS on Friday, September 1st, in conjunction with First Friday Art in the Heights. The show runs until Saturday, September 30th.
Caitlin Albritton was born and raised in Tampa, Florida. She graduated from Savannah College of Art and Design in 2012 in painting and a minor in ceramics. She has exhibited her works in galleries in Florida, Georgia, New York, and Texas. Eight of her paintings are in SCAD’s Permanent Collection. She is currently a low-residency Studio Art MFA student at Maryland Institute College of Art, but lives and works in Tampa, Florida.
Cover image: Yoga (Partner Stretches), 42 x 56 in., oil on canvas, 2017
