Sally Gil
Indigenous Mass, 2012-2014
Collage, acrylic, casein, and house paint on paper
42 inches x 48 inches
Courtesy of the artist

“Out of This World,” Lush Abstract Landscapes by Sally Gil

April 23 through July 10
Regional Artists Gallery

Bennington Museum presents Out of This World, an exhibition of new and recent work by visual artist Sally Gil.   This is the first exhibition of Gil’s work in her native state of Vermont.  The artist will create a site specific installation directly on the gallery walls; a further three large scale works and a number of smaller scale works will complete the show.  The exhibition will be on view April 23 through July 10.  The artist will host an Artist’s Reception on Saturday, April 23 from 3:00 to 5:00 p.m.  This is an opportunity to speak with Gil and enjoy her work.  It is free and open to the public.

“Sally Gil’s technicolor utopias draw the viewer into complex worlds where iconic fragments taken from a variety of found print materials (discarded encyclopedias, seed catalogues, post cards) form new narratives with ephemera from daily life (tea wrappers, paper from florists, doilies).  Her stream of consciousness sweeps us up with effervescent energy.  Seen from afar, there is a sense of the cosmos, the Big Bang, star dust.  Close up, thoughtfully juxtaposed elements create new links, alternate stories.  Choosing to paint over, embellish, or riff off these elements she fully appropriates the found imagery.  More perfect truths are born.” states Sophie Brechu-West, founder of 571 Projects and curator of this exhibition.

Gil’s process is meticulous, using visual and word association to construct possible alternate worlds.  At times a kind of nostalgia bubbles to the surface, and while the works are not intended to be primarily autobiographical documents, each holds the indelible marks of the maker and the things that hold meaning for her.  In Indigenous Mass, the image of a Morgan horse at the center of the piece stands under a blueberry sky – the state animal of Vermont, and a berry that grows wild in the state.  Each fragment holds a wealth of signifiers.  Personal and universal, Gil’s work is generous: it allows each viewer a way in.

Brooklyn-based visual artist Sally Gil was born and raised in Bennington, Vermont.  She received her BA from UC San Diego and her MFA from Hunter College, CUNY.  She has had solo exhibitions at Geary Contemporary, NYC; 571 Projects, NYC; University of North Carolina, Charlotte; and Dean Bergen Gallery, Brooklyn, NY.  Her work has been featured in group exhibitions at The Brooklyn Museum; The Rotunda Gallery, Brooklyn; White Columns, NYC; among other venues. The artist was a Fellow at Apexart (2013) to Sao Paolo, Brazil, and a Visiting Artist at The University of North Carolina, Charlotte (2010) and the University of Tennessee at Knoxville (2001).  Her work is included in the U.S. State Department’s Arts in Embassies program, in Brazzaville, Congo (2014-2016).