Constance McBride, Lonely Girl Room 3400, Ceramic, Image courtesy of the artist
November 10, 2021
Amie Potsic interviews Constance McBride about her upcoming exhibition, The Lonely Girls, opening on Nov. 12 at Tubbs Gallery, Rehoboth Beach Arts League.
“I have long been intrigued by how rapid change impacts the human condition and use the body as a site for exploring it. In this series, a gendered issue of dementia is engaged from a female point of view. My mother’s countenance emerges through representation in multiples, mentally and physically aging over time.
The Lonely Girls project began after my mother was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease and lived out her last years in a nursing home, between two worlds. What started as a portrait of her became a collection of portraits of the women she lived with. Their spouses, partners, and friends were long gone and their children were really not equipped to take care of them. Once vibrant and accomplished women were reduced to mere shells of their former selves. Their bodies were still functioning but their minds couldn’t keep up. They were depressed and frustrated a lot of the time but in between, I saw glimpses of great joy in simple experiences like gazing at the moon or gleefully eating ice cream.
The clay busts are hand-built, sculpted, and fired. Surface treatments include underglazes, oxides, stains, and wax. Baling wire was fired with the busts, other miscellaneous electrical wires were added post-firing. So much goes on physically, mentally, socially, and psychologically that warrants more attention. By sharing this project with a wider audience, I hope to continue raising awareness.” -Constance McBride
The Lonely Girls exhibition is on view from Nov. 12 - Dec. 12, 2021, at Tubbs Gallery
Opening reception: Friday, Nov. 12 from 5-7 pm
Gallery Talk: Saturday, Nov. 13 at 10 am
For more information, visit: https://www.rehobothartleague.org/exhibitions/current/lonely-girls/
Constance McBride, Lonely Girl Room 4732, Ceramic, Image courtesy of the artist
Constance McBride, Lonely Girl Room 4732 (detail), Ceramic, Image courtesy of the artist
Constance McBride's work addresses the human condition in relation to nature. When residing in the Southwest, observations of the desert made a transformative impact on her practice. Exploring themes of identity and memory, the emphasis is placed on issues most experienced by women. Her work has been supported by grants from the Arizona Commission on the Arts, Phoenix Art Museum's Contemporary Forum, Philadelphia Sculptors, and the COVID-19 Arts Aid PHL program. Museum exhibitions include Phoenix Art Museum and Udinotti Museum of Figurative Art in AZ, Las Cruces Museum of Art in NM, San Angelo Museum of Art in TX, The State Museum of Pennsylvania, and Biggs Museum of American Art in DE. Notable gallery exhibitions include Craft Forms at Wayne Art Center and The Clay Studio National in PA, America's ClayFest International at Blue Line Arts in CA, and Beyond the Brickyard at Archie Bray Foundation for the Ceramic Arts in MT. McBride's work has received attention from several publications including Yahoo News, Visual Art Source, Philly Artblog, Philadelphia Stories, Schuylkill Valley Journal, and the international platform Ceramics Now. Now living and working in Chester County, PA, she is actively involved with art communities in the Delaware Valley. McBride earned a Bachelor of Arts degree from Arcadia University, Glenside, PA.
For more information on Constance McBride, visit: https://www.constancemcbride.com/