Opening Reception: “Smells Like Team Spirit” by Charlotta Janssen

“Smells Like Team Spirit” is about feeling as a collective. Teams, especially in sports, are islands of humanity on a backdrop of economic highs and lows, world wars, backward and forward thinking. The communal sentiment permeates in each. “The game”, be it baseball, football or basketball, is taking place over the run of a century no matter what. Strong sentiments (especially losing or winning) are felt together. Progress and regress are inevitable, and eventually all leagues’ scores count. While the creators of rules and boundaries may fade into obscurity, those who defy and redefine them remain unforgettable. This series painted, oxidized and collaged is a reflection of that.

Until now, this has been a work in progress exhibit: the pieces first sketchily painted, fleshed out, then oxidized, are finally collaged. Each part adds a layer to the work & turns a monologue into a cacophony of dialogues.