In the exhibition “Observations”, artists Karen Marston, Yuliya Lanina, and Carla Gannis present, through distinct lenses and mediums, their observations on the nature of our twenty-first century world. On viewing these artists’ works together, we discover a dialogue of dichotomies where nature can be perceived as physical or virtual; external or internal; anthropocentric or ecocentric, compelling viewers to observe from multiple vantage points the ways in which their own identities fit into the schema of nature and reality. The shared visual syntax between Marston, Lanina, and Gannis lies in their adept use of vibrant, intensely saturated colors to craft visually arresting works. This striking use of color serves as an immediate draw, inviting viewers into a deeper, more immersive experience. However, it is upon closer inspection that the full depth of their artistry is revealed, as viewers encounter the darker, more visceral subtexts embedded in each of their works.

Karen Marston's landscape paintings embody the formidable power of nature. The works seen here were produced in Newfoundland, where she was profoundly impacted by the rocky coast of the North Atlantic—the vast, windswept expanse provoking a primordial sense of awe. The sublime is an essential through line connecting these works to her previous explorations of the disquieting gravity of ecological catastrophes. Marston’s landscapes derive from her direct observation immersed in nature, but are also informed by another kind of observation, the inescapable lens of pervasive environmental disaster. Marston’s work is resonant with the paradox of natural beauty and existential threat.

Yuliya Lanina’s works on paper and animation presented in the exhibition delve into the depths of the human psyche, addressing themes of absurdity, trauma, and healing. Her work, characterized by a playful exterior that belies deeper, often darker themes, encourages a closer inspection of the fragments of traumatized consciousness. Lanina's exploration of the absurd, the fragmented and the whimsical presents a journey into the internal landscapes of the mind and asks us to reflect on our connection to ourselves, to our past and to each other.

Carla Gannis navigates the fluidity of identity and place within the mixed reality frameworks that increasingly define contemporary life, employing both traditional and digital mediums. Included in the exhibition are paintings from her “Uncanny Female Objects: Jolie Laide'' series, which are tangible interpretations of digital chimeras. These portraits are composed from the generative outputs of AI programs, offering a unique perspective on the construction of femininity and identity in the Digital Age. Also on view is “The Elevated Line” a 3D animation of a park set to an ominous soundtrack and assembled from fragmentary volumetric scans of the West Chelsea Highline in New York City. Viewers are provided with the artist’s impression of a future urban landscape inhabited by 9 digital avatars virtually performed by the artist.

"Observations" evokes reflection, dialogue, and understanding across diverse themes. Marston's environmental contemplations, Lanina's introspective explorations, and Gannis's digital inquiries collectively offer a holistic view of our contemporary condition. Through their distinct yet interconnected practices, the artists invite us to observe, question, and engage with the world around us and within us, fostering a deeper appreciation for the complexities of existence in an ever-changing and increasingly technologize cultural landscape.

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About the Artists:

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Carla Gannis Bio:
Carla Gannis’s art is characterized by a commitment to experimentation. Throughout her career, she has worked with an array of mediums and tools, including drawing, painting, video, interactivity, extended reality, and machine learning models. Her multilayered narratives engage with the loci of identity within the context of atomized and hyperreal 21th century conditions.

She draws inspiration from a diverse range of sources, including networked communication, art and feminist histories, emerging technologies, and speculative design, to create pieces that address themes centered around identity, gender, class, diversity, and the impact of digital technology on society.

Gannis holds an MFA in painting from Boston University and a BFA in painting from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro. She is Industry Professor at NYU’s Tandon School of Engineering in the Department of Technology, Culture and Society, Integrated Design and Media Program.

Gannis's work has been exhibited globally in exhibitions, screenings, and internet projects. Her most recent projects include "Networked Nature" at the Hunter Museum of American Art, Chattanooga, TN (2024); "wwwunderkammer" at the Halsey Institute of Contemporary Art, Charleston, SC (2023); "Virtues and Vices" at Telematic Gallery, San Francisco, CA (2023); "Welcome to the wwwunderkammer" at the Pérez Art Museum Miami (2022); and "The Elevated Line" at Ryan Lee Gallery, New York (2022). Her work has been featured in numerous publications, including The New York Times, El PaÍs, ARTNews, The LA Times, among others. She is a Year 7 Alum of NEW INC, in the XR: Bodies in Space track, New York, NY.

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Yuliya Lanina Bio:
Yuliya Lanina is an interdisciplinary artist whose work bridges traditional media with new technologies. She creates alternate realities in her works—ones based on sexuality, trauma and identity.

Lanina has exhibited and performed extensively both nationally and internationally, including SXSW Interactive (TX), Seoul Art Museum (Korea), SIGGRAPH Asia (Japan), 798 Beijing Biennial (China), Cleveland Institute of Art (OH), Patrick Heide Gallery (London, UK), Teatro Santa Ana (Mexico), Blanton Museum of Art (TX), Moscow Museum of Modern Art (Russia), Vienna MuseumsQuartier (Austria) and Xposed gallery on New York City’s High Line.

Lanina's professional honors include fellowships and scholarships from Fulbright (Vienna, Austria), Headlands Art Center (CA), Yaddo (NY), Artpace (SA), Yaddo Fellowship (NY), Marble House Project (NY), The Puffin Foundation (NJ), and Honorable citation from New York State Assembly (NYC). Lanina’s most recent animation Gefilte Fish won Best International Short Film at Tamuz Shomron Film Festival (Israel) and an Honorable Mention at the Female Eye Film Festival (Canada).

Lanina is an Assistant Professor of Practice at the Department of Arts and Entertainment Technologies at The University of Texas at Austin.

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Karen Marston Bio:
Karen Marston (b. 1964, Madison, WI) paints landscapes resonant with the vivid beauty of nature and the existential threat of global warming. Raised in California, she earned her BFA from the San Francisco Art Institute and participated in the A.I.C.A. New York Studio Program. Her work has been seen in solo exhibitions in New York City, including three at the Owen James Gallery—Fire Season (2021), Harbingers (2018) and Demeter’s Wrath (2016)—as well as at Station Independent Projects and Storefront Bushwick, plus the recent solo show Relative to the Horizon (2022) at the James Baird Gallery in Canada. She has also participated in many group exhibitions in a variety of New York spaces including Metaphor Projects, Front Room Gallery, and the SPRING/ BREAK Art Show. She has been awarded multiple residencies at both the Pouch Cove Foundation in Newfoundland and the Jentel Artists Residency in Wyoming. Marston served as President of the Board of Trustees of NURTUREart Non-Profit for over ten years. She was instrumental in the growth of the organization: opening the NURTUREart Gallery and hosting eleven seasons of Muse Fuse, an informal monthly art salon with many notable guest speakers from the forefront of the New York art world. Marston currently lives and works in Brooklyn, NY.