Susie Wolf by June Glasson (2022)
Studio 44
2290 E. Walnut Street
Pasadena, CA. 91107
(626) 437-3390
Intagram: @studio44_la
For the Love of Dog
Opening Reception: Saturday Oct 15th 4 - 6pm
Studio 44 is thrilled to present the group exhibition, For the Love of Dog, about dogs and the people who love them. Co-curated by Anne-Elizabeth Sobieski & Leigh McCarthy, the show is the second for Studio 44's project space. The exhibition includes work by Rebecca Campbell, Kim Dingle, June Glasson, Kyla Hansen, Micol Hebron, and Lindsey Ross.
The show will run from October 15th to October 29th and will be available for additional viewing Weds, Oct. 19th through Saturday Oct 22nd from 11 am to 2 pm or by appointment.
The exhibition’s title is a play on, “For the love of God,” first published in 1846 in Edgar Allen Poe’s short story, The Cask of Amontillado. Dogs are referred to as man’s best friend for good reason – they create an oxytocin loop and indelible bond with their humans. An unexpected result of the pandemic led to record high adoption rates of dogs. They can ease anxiety, alert seizures, detect low blood sugar before humans are aware of their internal changes themselves. Like its ancestor the wolf, dogs are social creatures.
There is a rich history of dogs' symbolic, mythic, and religious meaning in the canon of art history. Paintings of dogs date back to the earliest cave paintings. In ancient times, statues of dogs flanked graves to protect their owners from harm in the afterlife. During the Renaissance, Noble portraits were painted with dogs as allegorical symbols of faith, loyalty, as well as status. Today, because of their heightened senses, canines can fulfill many roles to serve as faithful companions, beloved family members, hunters, herders, trackers, and fierce protectors. What dogs mean to you – is really in the eye of the beholder.
Campbell’s work references the close familial bonds with her delicate portrait of her son with their dog. There are a few selections from Dingle’s large archive of work about dogs including painted portraits and “coffee table books” depicting her fond memories. Sobieski’s charcoal work, Bear Aaarf, reveals the ferocious face of a dog which serves the dual role as a family pet and protector. McCarthy’s painting, Mt Frankie, turns a portrait into an abstraction.
Domestic dogs share 99 percent of their DNA with the gray wolf. Several artists in the show reference the powerful archetype of the undomesticated wolf. Glasson’s work, Susie Wolf, relates to the mythic symbolism of a she-wolf. Hansen titled her quilted denim work, Know The Wolves That Hunt You. Hebron’s, Mother of Dog, includes her beloved, Klaus, in a reversal of the mythic portrait of Romulus and Remus suckling a she-wolf. Hebron’s work also relates to her ongoing challenge to social media censorship in her Digital Pasty/Gender Equity initiative.
For more information, please contact Studio 44 at aesobieski@gmail.com.
Hope to see you there.
AE + Leigh
Studio 44
2290 E. Walnut Street
Pasadena, CA. 91107
(626) 437-3390