In Irons: Trish Tillman at Civilian Art Projects

Trish Tillman, Birthday Ghost, 2010. Cut paper, acrylic, oil pastel, pencil, 29 x 43 in. Courtesy the artist.

New works by Brooklyn-based artist Trish Tillman are on view at Civilian Art Projects in Washington, D.C. through October 16. Tillman, who was a recipient of last year's Joan Mitchell Foundation Grant, has titled her show In Irons. She says, "When a boat is in irons it is pointing directly into the wind or is too close to the wind to make headway. It struggles or is completely stopped dead in the water. Elements of my work possess this ambition of wanting to move forward, but with constant barriers or reminders of loss."

Trish Tillman, Pajama Party with Murder Holes, 2010. Mixed media. Courtesy the artist.

You can read a short essay about Tillman's latest body of work (written by moi) on the gallery's website. Here's an excerpt:

Trish Tillman's precariously hung doorway sculpture, Pajama Party with Murder Holes, suggests that gallery-goers enter with trepidation. This mock castle gate, bearing sharp wooden fence posts (or stakes) and a guillotine-esque awning, recalls medieval methods of defense and execution. It should be taken as a warning: what's above could fall at any time. While the piece threatens to do harm it also invites people in: the pineapple speared to the top indicates, according to old lore, that guests are welcome. You will cross this threshold at your own risk, unsure if you are friend or foe. 

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