Comfort Zones: The Crossroads of Urban and Rural

About the Exhibition

Urban and rural locales are typically viewed as distinct worlds, mutually exclusive of one another. Taking a deeper look into the fabric of these locations there is much to be found that connects these disparate places. The poetics of everyday life, beauty of the surroundings, conventional and idiosyncratic dynamics, and historical roots, are but a few of the aspects that unite these comfort zones. These are also the fundamental elements explored in paintings by Chicago-based artist Mary Phelan and South-Central Virginia artist Eldridge Bagley. Seeing their work together is ultimately a glimpse into personal definitions of a sense of place.

Phelan depicts the density of urban environments, with taller buildings, crowded streets, and bustling city life. She finds peace within the stillness of the paintings, capturing the energy of the city and urban environment in which she lives. Her precisionist style conveys a photographic snapshot of an instant. In contrast, Bagley presents open vistas that allow the viewer to enter the farms and the natural topography of the rural countryside. He presents the tranquil rural life known all his life, focusing on family and community that inhabit the depicted spaces. His loose application of pigment conjures distant memories and personal experiences.

Pairing these artists may hit home for Oxford and Cincinnati residents who are accustomed to seeing differences between the rural countryside and the bustling city. An overarching question developed out of a study of painting by Phelan and Bagley: Are rural and urban really mutually exclusive once you look beyond the surface? Investigating works by these two different artists provides a unique look into commonalities that we often overlook in two seemingly different places. In addition, when expansion encroaches on one another these two locations become more than geographically connected.