Parallel Play by Eleanor Anderson and Morgan Thomas Shankweiler and I’ll Carry It For You by Krista Dedrick-Lai will be on display at the Da Vinci Art Alliance, 704 Catharine St., from March 1-19 with an opening reception on March 4 from 4-7 p.m.
According to the artists, Parallel Play is an exhibition examining the relationships between work, play and social discourse. Through a balance of finished work and a series of interactive games, Parallel Play provides a non-threatening perspective through which to recognize the importance of playfulness within art-making, and life in general. The exhibition ultimately examines the agency of the artist-creator, the agency of the gallery visitor, and social agency within communities and greater society. Though the artists themselves approach the idea of play differently, the commonality of play-as-process is made visible in the work. The artists nudge the viewer toward joy, connection and an awareness of how a playful approach to life can alter how we engage with the world around us.
I’ll Carry It For You is a collection of “treasures” by Dedrick-Lai that were found during walks in Philadelphia. Dedrick-Lai says, “Beads, bits of broken metal, mysterious pieces of plastic and single earrings are all things we have collected. Sometimes a treasure is something that catches my attention. A bit of beauty in one of many piles of trash on a curb or sandwiched between sidewalk cracks. Over time this practice has become symbolic of my constant process of metabolizing my hopes and fears for my child’s future. I safe-guard his hopes, wishes, interests and self-regard in my heart, mind and behavior. Similarly, I hold and carry the rocks and beads he collects in my pockets, handbag or bare hands. I strive to honor his treasures and his heart with my actions and words, symbolic or otherwise. And I hope I am preparing him to be resilient in the face of uncertainty. To be radically joyful even in the darkest of times.”
