Michael McConnell at Gallery BellJar
October 15th - November 18th
Opening Reception
October, Friday the 16th
6:00 - 9:00 PM
Gallery BellJar
3187 16th Street
San Francisco
See his work here
I fear I have no voice. I am awkward and anxious. I don’t remember the details of growing up, but long to tell my story. Making art has become my refuge in which to make sense of the world and my forgotten childhood. Inspired by stories that examine loneliness, responsibility, and choice, I am able to explore the tension between youth and maturity.
My drawings, reminiscent of old photographs, blur the line between the observed, the imagined. While the sculptural work, composed of discarded stuffed animals, suggests the uneasy feeling of lost childhood.
I take the stories I know, stories you may also know, and record them differently. At first glance the work reads like a fairytale, the playful images of children and animals seduce the viewer into the work. Closer observation strips away the innocent appearance and the viewer is confronted with darker stories of skepticism and failure. I combine these peculiar specific images with phrases, which often become titles, to create work that is layered with narrative possibility.
- Michael McConnell