Open Door Gallery

Banner for Prisms exhibits which says March 2019 through March 2020. Perspectives on hidden disabilities. There are a few prisms with light appearing to emit but with the colors green, red, gray.

Bethany Noël Murray - "Brains are cool (even when they hurt)"

September 17 - December 12, 2019

Artist's Reception Thursday September 26, 2019 5-7pm.

Register here.

I have had chronic migraines for over twenty years of my life. I began making paintings to show the incredible beauty that accompanies this strange neurological condition, as I have always been fascinated at the neurobiology behind the imagery I see. One of my daily symptoms is an ocular disturbance called ‘aura’. Superimposed in my vision is a shimmering wave of lights, colors, black holes, and other unsettling but beautiful neurological artifacts. My paintings have been proof to myself of what I experience during an attack, and despite the pain, I’ve made the choice to see the good, weird, and beautiful, and I hope my paintings help my viewers find bits of unexpected joy in the natural world.

I paint about the woods, as it has always been a refuge. I’m highly sensitive to light, so what would be painful in the city is beautiful when I’m hiking. On a forest trail I experience a kaleidoscope of fracturing leaves, brush, and canopy that are gorgeous in their strange Alice-in-Wonderland glory, complete with heightened color and light. I experience the symptoms of macroscopia and microscopia and depict them in my work to give my audience the fascinating experience of these dissociating neurological effects without the pain. I work with white and black gesso, using the black of the canvas to be the darkness and shadow, and add the light in a swirling, patterning effect that mimics the aura I see all the time.

Learn more about Bethany at her website.

Other Exhibits in the VSA MA Series "Prisms: Perspectives on Hidden Disability"

Hymn to the Body
Rachel Bird
December 17, 2019 - March 12, 2020

In the Colophony, a Sticky Mess
Tyler Williams
March 18 - June 3, 2019

Dreams and Tings
Arielle Gray
June 18, 2019 - September 12, 2019

Prisms: Perspectives on Hidden Disability offers artistic explorations of four artists' experiences with disability that are not initially visible to others, including learning and physical disabilities, chronic pain, and mental illness. By considering disability with the varied perspectives shared by the exhibiting artists, a spectrum of nuanced, gorgeous, and human experiences unfolds. In resonance with James Baldwin's declaration that "The role of the artist is exactly the same as the role of the lover. If I love you, I have to make you conscious of the things you don't see.", it is with love that we share this work, invite necessary dialogue, and collectively envision a future that is more just for all.

The Open Door Gallery promotes the work of artists with disabilities and shifts our community's perceptions of ability while enjoying quality art.

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