Preternatural
New Work by Eugene Parnell

February 1 - 24, 2007
First Thursday Opening Reception: February 1, 5-8 PM
Hours Friday & Saturday 12-5 PM
Or by appointment: info@shiftstudio.org

Shift Collaborative Studio is pleased to present Preternatural, new work by Eugene Parnell.

Preternatural consists of five installments of the artist's "Charismatic Megafauna" series: a 26-part alphabetical set of hyper-realistic animal tableaux reminiscent of Natural History dioramas, but also laden with unsettling Freudian subtexts. The ecologists' term "charismatic megafauna" refers, somewhat pejoratively, to large animals that have enough widespread popular appeal to garner funding for their preservation. Each piece in Parnell's series is identified with a letter of the alphabet, and each piece depicts both an animal whose name starts with that letter, as well as a personality trait beginning with that letter.

Parnell adopts this standard children's book format to investigate our reactions to particular animals, as based on perceived personality or innate morality/immorality. Paired with the nostalgically charged detritus of childhood (a baby stroller, dismembered Barbie dolls, assorted contents of a grandfather's basement workshop), each tableau raises critical questions about our childhood experiences with animals: Why is it that animals are used as surrogate humans in children's literature, from Beatrix Potter to Winnie the Pooh? At what point do we learn that animals don't really talk? Is that a "good" animal, or a "bad" animal, and why do we mentally categorize animals as "good" and "bad" anyway? Why, in the age of virtual reality, do the vintage taxidermy dioramas in Natural History museums still evoke such powerful reactions in us? Why are we so uncannily familiar with the fauna of the African Savannah? Is it because of some long-lost genetic memory, or just because we have seen too many National Geographic documentaries?

For more information, visit www.eugeneparnell.com.

Top: Eugene Parnell, Charismatic Megafauna[G]: Gratuitious. 2006. Urethane foam, epoxy resin,  recycled glass, plant fibers, pigment, found objects. 27 x 38 x 90.” Photo: Dave Kennedy

Center: Eugene Parnell, Charismatic Megafauna[P]: Preternatural. 2005. Urethane foam, polyester resin, aluminum, recycled glass, plant fibers, epoxy, pigment, found objects. 36 x 48 x 36.”  Photo: Don Stolley

Bottom: Eugene Parnell, Charismatic Megafauna D]: Diffident. 2005. Urethane foam, recycled cowhide throw rugs, aluminum, recycled glass, plant fibers, epoxy, pigment, found objects. 28 x 28 x 62”. Photo: Don Stolley

Shift Collaborative Studio: Tashiro-Kaplan Arts Complex, 306 S Washington St #105, Seattle WA 98104
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