Randal Thurston has been creating his iconic black and white cut paper silhouettes in a wide variety of forms for over 15 years, yet this artist’s straightforward juxtaposition of opposites never seems to lose its ability to cut to the quick, visually as well as in terms of their psychological impact. Through a lexicon of images he has evolved through research of everything from the history of keys, tools used in Islamic science, early attempts to map the circulatory system, Victorian charms, rain forest fauna and butterfly families, Thurston has developed a complex personal encyclopedia of forms that evoke an otherworldly/other-timely vision, craftily embedded in the objective language of an outdated scientific tract.

Oddly enough, however, a fascinating aspect of Thurston’s work is that in some ways these compelling images are entirely beside the point. One key to the on-going impact of Thurston’s work is the breadth of his interest in the organization and display of objects or symbols of all sorts. Thus, the sculptural aspect of his two-dimensional work -- its installation and physical siting -- is always integral to the viewer’s interaction with his work. Thurston looks at systems for categorizing visual signs and symbols with an approach that draws on linguistic analysis and the conceits of the 16th century Curiosity Cabinet, and his sensitivity and responsiveness to architecture -- to the sculptural situation that his work exists in and interacts with -- brings his work into another dimension.

In this exhibition, Thurston has installed a large fragment of a project he calls Doppelganger. Defined as "a ghostly counterpart to a living person," this term has psychological and literary references, and continues the artist’s interest in symmetry and twinning in nature and literature. As Thurston describes it:

"Doppelganger began as an exploration of the figural representations and thematic possibilities of three creatures: Frankenstein’s monster, the Jewish Golem and the alchemical Homunculus. The ritual creation, distorted appearance and unpredictable behavior of these figures say a great deal about their creators. Frankenstein sought to animate an inert being through a rigorous study of natural science but found the product of his labors to be hideous and fled. Rabbi Loew chanted the Golem of Prague into existence from clay then regretted both its progressive growth and burgeoning sentience. The Homunculus, a miniature man created in an alchemical vessel, escaped before it could aid its maker in his work. Although they inhabit the different realms of science, faith and self-awareness, these monsters probably share a common source. They pose basic questions about the search for knowledge and seem to be both a projection of our desires and a manifestation of our fears. I have used these three legends to examine our inquisitive nature and to explore ideas such as identity and transformation."

Amy Ross creates what, upon first glance, look like cheerful images of anthropomorphized little goats in rompers, set in front of zippy striped backgrounds. Pop Art meets Pat the Bunny? Daniel Buren Does Your Nursery? In fact, with degrees from both Boston’s Museum School and Harvard Divinity School, Ross comes to her "cute" subject matter with an unexpected perspective. Ross is interested in the phenomenon of "scapegoating," as manifested in its biblical origins as well as in contemporary society. In her new series in our project room, "Kid," Ross examines some deep, dark facets of the human animal’s psyche, facets which have long informed aspects of human societal organization -- including our personal and collective tendency to want to distance ourselves from our sins, and our troubled relationship with our own natures. As Ross describes her new project, which continues in the vein of her previous body of work, the Sacrificial Zoo Series:

"In biblical times, a community’s sins were symbolically transferred to a goat, which was then sent into the wilderness to die, thus removing the sins from the community. Modern society has continued this phenomenon in the form of punishing certain individuals who do not conform to the standards of others by rendering them outcasts, or scapegoats. My use of children to comment on the existence of societal scapegoating stems from personal memories of a taunted schoolgirl.

I suspend these 'kids' on fields of stripes to play on the centuries’ old use of striped clothing (prison uniforms) and striped structures (jails, cages) to mark and segregate those people who have been excluded from the social order, who are scapegoats. And I use Martha Stewart latex house paint to craft my stripes because, as a glance at her magazine or TV show will reveal, there is no room in Martha Stewart’s world for a hair, a plate, or a child out of place. Her rigid control over anything which might disrupt the overall harmony of her carefully crafted, perfect world sets up the ideal groundwork for scapegoating."

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