Shed

An exhibit by Courtney Sanders

Exhibition Open: January 1 - March 21
Gallery Reception: January 13, 4:30 - 6:30pm

The life cycle of a cockroach consists largely of the process of growing out of, shedding, and consuming old skin. I find profound symbolism in that life cycle as a metaphor for the way I experience dissociation from my body, stemming from instances of sexual assault. This feeling has grown into a fixation with my body as an object outside of myself, which informs my paintings in theme and imagery. While I have placed a lot of emphasis on the twisting and distortion of bodies, it is important to me that there is also beauty and feeling in these bodies.

Taking influence from artists like Josefina Auslender and Shary Boyle, who navigate personal experiences through their art, I aim to confront and process these feelings within the realm of my creative practice. Rather than discarding or ignoring this part of myself, I seek to address it head on, using my paintings as a means of externalizing and confronting these internal struggles. I hope to imitate the cockroach in the sense that I do not want to just shed that part of myself and leave it behind but to acknowledge and care for it, and ultimately take it into myself as a cockroach consumes and takes nourishment from its shed skin.

Artist Bio

Courtney Sanders is a visual artist based in Davidson, NC and a student at Davidson College. She works primarily with oil paint, natural dyes, and charcoal with a secondary focus on textile arts. She takes inspiration from the natural world, specifically from shedding bugs like cockroaches and cicadas, and those that undergo transformation like butterflies and moths. She is also inspired by the human body, and the practice of figure drawing. Courtney’s work has been displayed at the Van Every/Smith galleries and E.H. Little Library at Davidson College.