MOLLY CRABAPPLE
Annotated Muses
September 10 - October 15, 2016
This will be Crabapple's first exhibition in three years.
The show will consist of 11 paintings: portraits of ten women and one man.
Crabapple created elaborate portraits of her "muses": friends, peers and heroes that are activists,
journalists, artists, porn stars, musicians, philosophers, witches et al.
The process of making the paintings is three-step. First, she collects her own travel ephemera,
and the papers that mean the most to her friends -- their code and manuscripts, military IDs and
tarot cards, love letters and eviction notices. Then, she draws her subject on each paper.
She draws her friend hundreds of times, their mouths, bodies, eyes, hands. She draws them
just out of bed, and as they appear onstage. Their public personas. Their private faces.
Then, she makes these portraits into a background for a large scale painting.
The third step involves giving control over to her subjects, literally.
She hands them the paintbrush, allowing them to annotate, adorn or deface their portraits,
in whatever manner they see fit. In Annotated Muses, the muse is no longer silent.
The muse talks back.
Last in the group, a six foot tall, eight foot wide portrait of Stoya will be annotated by her at the opening of the show.
The Muses:
Stoya
is a porn performer, aerialist and writer
Serene Han
is a hacker and classical pianist
Akynos
is a stripper, sex worker, sex worker activist -- as well as a producer, curator, writer.
Kim Boekbinder
is a rock star
Fuck Theory
is a philosopher
Katelan Foisy
is an artist, writer and witch
Jen Dziura
is an educator, columnist and author
Natasha Lennard
is a journalist and anarchist
Chelsea G. Summers
is a writer about sex
Najva Sol
is a photographer and writer
Sara Jafary
is a biochemist and revolutionary
 |
MOLLY CRABAPPLE Installation view |
 |
MOLLY CRABAPPLE Installation view |
 |
MOLLY CRABAPPLE Stoya 2016 mixed media, collage and acrylic on canvas 72 x 96 inches Stoya is a porn performer, aerialist and writer |
 |
MOLLY CRABAPPLE Serene Han 2016 mixed media, collage and acrylic on canvas 72 x 48 inches Serene Han is a hacker and classical pianist |
 |
MOLLY CRABAPPLE Katelan Foisy 2016 mixed media, collage and acrylic on canvas 72 x 48 inches Katelan Foisy is an artist, writer and witch |
 |
MOLLY CRABAPPLE Kim Boekbinder 2016 mixed media, collage and acrylic on canvas 72 x 48 inches Kim Boekbinder is a rock star |
 |
MOLLY CRABAPPLE Natasha Lennard 2016 mixed media, collage and acrylic on canvas 48 x 36 inches Natasha Lennard is a journalist and anarchist |
 |
MOLLY CRABAPPLE Chelsea G. Summers 2016 mixed media, collage and acrylic on canvas 48 x 23.75 inches Chelsea G. Summers is a a writer about sex |
 |
MOLLY CRABAPPLE Jen Dziura 2016 mixed media, collage and acrylic on canvas 48 x 31.75 inches Jen Dziura is an educator, columnist and author |
 |
MOLLY CRABAPPLE Akynos 2016 mixed media, collage and acrylic on canvas 72 x 48 inches Akynos is a stripper, sex worker, sex worker activist - as well as a producer, curator, writer |
 |
MOLLY CRABAPPLE Fuck Theory 2016 mixed media, collage and acrylic on canvas 72 x 48 inches Fuck Theory is a philosopher |
 |
MOLLY CRABAPPLE Sara Jafary 2016 mixed media, collage and acrylic on canvas 72 x 48 inches Sara Jafary is a biochemist and revolutionary |
 |
MOLLY CRABAPPLE Najva Sol 2016 mixed media, collage and acrylic on canvas 72 x 48 inches Najva Sol is a photographer and writer |