The Peaceable Queendom

March 5 – May 1, 2010

Coinciding with the 44th annual National Council for Education on the Ceramic Arts Conference in Philadelphia (March 31-April 3, 2010), Wexler Gallery proudly presented The Peaceable Queendom, an installation of new work by Philadelphia based sculptor Adelaide Paul in the main gallery space.

Exploring the idea that American culture posits an alternately sentimental and callous relationship between humans and both domesticated and wild animals, Adelaide Paul’s The Peaceable Queendom included life-sized interpretations of animate beings such as mountain lions, dogs and horses. Having stated that “muscle is meat and, on great many levels, so are we,” the artist poses her animal subjects in provocative positions, often mirroring human characteristics and emotions. Working with both found and fabricated materials, such as taxidermy manikins and brightly colored leather, the artist’s most recent body of work begs the viewer to consider the relationship between the consumer, consumed, and consummated, evoking multiple possibilities as to just who is consumed.