Curated by Rachel Yanku 
September 13–October 13, 2024 
Opening Reception: Friday, September 13 from 6–8 pm

Angora rabbit is the fluffiest bunny in the world. When you see it you may have an instinct to act with “cute aggression” towards it (i.e pinch, squeeze, or bite). Real Tinsel is pleased to present, “FLUFFY”, a group show curated by Rachel Yanku. Over the past year Yanku has acquainted herself with a group of artists who work primarily in painting and sculpture. Cristina Covucci, Karla Zurita, Chloe Wilcox, Marta Lee, Loretta Violante, Karissa Kendricks, Izzy Casey, Andrea Emmerich and began to see a recurring theme in their works: animals. Animals with certain characteristics.

Animals are inversions of cuteness, and vessels for tackling themes of aggressiveness, aging, gender, and storytelling. They star in our fantasies, alternate realities, and memories, but also represent the potential to subvert all that is cute and adorable: tamagotchis falling off the screen, domestic dogs chasing their tails, PARO: robotic seals placed in retirement homes, and two little boys suckling the teats of a wolf in the Palazzo dei Conservatori. 

Cristina Covucci’s found objects evocative of ancient objects retell a broken history. In the work “Paw,” Covucci reframes the tale of Capitoline Wolf (“She Wolf”). One of the original sculpted renditions of “She Wolf” was damaged during relocation, one of its paws broken off. Covucci’s work reassembles the lost effect of this fragment; She presents the paw with the textures of iron gates, found metal, fallen rubble, and crumbling pavement. Karla Zurita’s “Walker” represents the unknowns that come with the proliferation of technology. Zurita’s work is inspired by PARO, a seal robot used as a companion in elderly homes. Zurita is interested in cybercaretakers, and how they replace human interaction. A loss of control comes with aging, relying on assistance. This is represented in Zurita’s choice to include two robotic birds in collaboration with the intensive side of her practice, casting tubes to make the walker. Acquiring streamlined robots that were accessible with precision and attention to make the larger structure. Chloe Wilcox’s work is inspired by her experiences with her pets as a kid. Wilcox finds the word “pet” to be frustrating, as it implies a sense of closeness that is inauthentic. Wilcox’s “Closer II” creates a sense of longing that is inevitable in the process of making connections with other species. Marta Lee’s painting “Seasonal Goods (Fall)” reflects on the development of meaningful relationships with objects and time. A rainbow elephant and an oriole are perched on a desk that seems disproportional. Like how time warps, Lee is interested in how memory imprints in one’s mind. Growing up, her parents used Chinese calendars which have a new page for each day. Lee is captivated by the rituals and patterns that structure meaning. The elephant, known for its wisdom and memory, and birds, known for their beautiful songs, are vessels for memory. Loretta Violante’s “zete has a point” is a material exploration of ink-on-wood she sourced from a forest in Maine. Violante’s stick is an anamorphosis of a zebra-like creature with wacky extremities. In this work she brings attention to how animals are displaced from their native habitats into zoos uncomfortable an unnatural contexts like zoos and backyards. Karissa Kendricks' painting "Dogs on Porch" is aiming to use painting as a site to meditate on the animation of animals. Kendricks has always been perplexed by what it takes for a human being to abandon a dog. This painting creates a perspective shift, as if the viewer is one of the dogs too out on the porch. It’s not clear whether the dogs are staying or leaving. Kendricks warps the classic image of a dog on the porch into a tale of mystery. Izzy Casey’s video installation “What Do I Do?” features her dressed up as a bunny playing the role of needy companion. Casey blurs the lines of baby and animal. The constant emotional involvement required from a caretaker can be overwhelming, and the caretaker must take care of oneself. Casey splices close ups of her placing stickers on her face and applying lipstick. The montage embodies the heightened state of caretaking and self-care. Andrea Emmerich’s work harkens back to a historical reverence of domesticated animals. In “Cat Eye Yellow Heart,” we encounter a cat mask, a conventional form of disguise, particularly for women, both through internet filters and physical costumes. In “United Boston Terriers”, Emmerich presents another form of reverence: shrine-making. The Boston terrier becomes a spiritual protector worthy of worship from their human counterparts. Her work embraces the oddness of overlaying emoticons, filters, and our explorer feed over mundanity.