State of the Union
Jane O’Hara
June 1st – August 20th
Opening reception June 8th 5-7pm
In State of the Union artist Jane O’Hara, an advocate for animals, examines the topic of animal rights and the complex relationship between humans and animals. O’Hara’s exploration of this topic and subsequent series of paintings began 4 years ago with Florida State of the Union and culminates in State of the Union with a depiction of every state.
O’Hara’s narrative paintings combine realistic and surreal elements and juxtapose images of suffering animals and environmental decline with landscapes filled with nostalgic postcard iconography and pop references. The seriousness of the subject matter is alleviated by the whimsical insertion of Nellie the cat within each painting. Untethered and unafraid, Nellie reacts with a purely feline attitude – with indifference, curiosity, caution, or by taking a nap.
