{"id":1380,"date":"2024-08-02T16:00:58","date_gmt":"2024-08-02T16:00:58","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/goeggit.com\/?p=1380"},"modified":"2024-09-18T11:46:37","modified_gmt":"2024-09-18T11:46:37","slug":"silhouettes-and-surreal-drawings-echo-strife-and-self-preservation-in-valerie-hammonds-dreamers-awake","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/goeggit.com\/index.php\/2024\/08\/02\/silhouettes-and-surreal-drawings-echo-strife-and-self-preservation-in-valerie-hammonds-dreamers-awake\/","title":{"rendered":"Silhouettes and Surreal Drawings Echo Strife and Self-Preservation in Valerie Hammond\u2019s \u2018Dreamers Awake\u2019"},"content":{"rendered":"
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According to Greek mythology, Daphne<\/a> was the descendant of river gods. Born with a surging hunger for freedom and autonomy, the nymph committed herself to living a life rooted in solitude as she poured herself into deep passions like nature and hunting. Although Daphne devoted a great deal of time to exploring her tranquil surroundings, she eventually found herself in the chaotic throes of unrequited love as Apollo desperately sought to seize her for himself. One day, during a relentless pursuit in which Daphne was being chased by the Greek god, her only escape was to call her father for help, who subsequently transformed her into a laurel tree. <\/span><\/p>\n Narratives similar to this, symbolizing the adversity of self-preservation against burdening pressures set forth by powerful men, play a critical role in Valerie Hammond<\/a>\u2019s current solo exhibition <\/span>Dreamers Awake<\/span>.<\/span><\/em><\/p>\n While Hammond\u2019s newest works imbue familiar<\/a> themes of nature, spirituality, and strife, they also evolve from the artist\u2019s ongoing interest in surrealism\u2019s ability to address patriarchal narratives. \u201c<\/span>I found creative potential in its exploration of the unconscious and the uncanny, and I admired its attempts to liberate social conventions from conformist structures,\u201d Hammond explains in the<\/span> exhibition text. \u201cI was especially intrigued by women’s involvement in surrealism, and their unique images of sexuality, vulnerability, violence, and rage.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n A feminine figure with billowing texture emerges from an amalgamation of wasp nests, wood, and paper in \u201cDaphne 2,\u201d alluding to the mythological tale while emphasizing the inextricable parallels between feminine plight and the metamorphic characteristics of nature. \u201cLaurel\u201d quite literally depicts the cost of self-advocacy, portraying Daphne\u2019s fate as sprawling tree branches ascend from a pair of feet. Hammond\u2019s ink pieces further draw upon the dissolution of feminine bodies, as inked silhouettes fade into landscapes behind them.<\/span><\/p>\n Dreamers Awake<\/span><\/em> is on view at Pamela Salisbury Gallery<\/a> in Hudson, New York until August 25. Keep an eye on Hammond’s Instagram<\/a> for more updates and work.<\/span><\/p>\n