Verse / Us

Language & Power



At Arts + Literature Laboratory / September 2019



A show about how language shapes our identities and the world that we live in. The artists in this show have works in a variety of media, all exploring a central theme of use and demonstration of language in shaping society..

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This is a show about how language shapes our identities and the world that we live in, featuring a variety of media and the work of six artists: Julie Chen, Nina Ghanbarzadeh, Helen Lee, Tuesday Smillie, Chelsea Thompto, and Matthew Owen Wead.

Language and discourse serve to construct and manipulate concepts of power in society. Institutions and individuals alike use language to strengthen their ideological interests, preserve authority over others, and lead the change in social practices, relationships, and values.

The six invited artists for this show represent a breadth of mediums: artist's books, site-specific installations, video art, and both 2D and 3D work. The central theme is each artist's use and demonstration of language in shaping society.

Note: The individual responsible for photographing this exhibit has thus far failed to provide images. Because the curator believes in the importance of documentation as a way of combatting erasure especially on a show about Language and Power, these photos are courtesy the artists and also curator Jenie Gao, and provide a digital record of this show's existence.

Verse Us Language and Power Artist Chelsea Thompto Curator Jenie Gao

Verse / Us poster, artwork by Chelsea Thompto, poster by intern Isabella Kiser of Jenie Gao Studio

Verse Us Language and Power Artist Chelsea Thompto Curator Jenie Gao

Site/Sight/Cite, video installation, image courtesy Artist Chelsea Thompto

Verse Us Language and Power Artist Chelsea Thompto Curator Jenie Gao

Site/Sight/Cite, video installation by Artist Chelsea Thompto, photo by Jenie Gao

Verse Us Language and Power Artist Nina Ghanbarzadeh Curator Jenie Gao

s - ee - a - h, pin on foam board mounted on wood panel, image courtesy Artist Nina Ghanbarzadeh

Verse Us Language and Power Artist Nina Ghanbarzadeh Curator Jenie Gao

I Am Alive VI, dried acrylic paint, image courtesy Artist Nina Ghanbarzadeh

Verse Us Language and Power Artist Nina Ghanbarzadeh Curator Jenie Gao

s - ee - a - h, by Nina Ghanbarzadeh, pin on foam board mounted on wood panel, photo by Jenie Gao

Verse Us Language and Power Artist Nina Ghanbarzadeh Curator Jenie Gao

I Am Alive VI, by Nina Ghanbarzadeh, dried acrylic paint, photo by Jenie Gao

Verse Us Language and Power Artist Julie Chen Curator Jenie Gao

Bitter Chocolate, artist's book, photo courtesy Julie Chen

Verse Us Language and Power Artist Julie Chen Curator Jenie Gao

Bitter Chocolate, artist's book, photo courtesy Julie Chen

Verse Us Language and Power Artist Julie Chen Curator Jenie Gao

Panorama, artist's book, photo courtesy Julie Chen

Verse Us Language and Power Artist Julie Chen Curator Jenie Gao

Bitter Chocolate, by Julie Chen, artist's book, photo by Jenie Gao

Verse Us Language and Power Artist Julie Chen Curator Jenie Gao

Panorama, by Julie Chen, artist's book, photo by Jenie Gao

Verse Us Language and Power Artist Tuesday Smillie Curator Jenie Gao

the visual communication of clothing, artist's book, photo courtesy Tuesday Smillie

Verse Us Language and Power Artist Tuesday Smillie Curator Jenie Gao

the visual communication of clothing, by Tuesday Smillie, artist's book, photo by Jenie Gao

Verse Us Language and Power Artist Tuesday Smillie Curator Jenie Gao

the visual communication of clothing, by Tuesday Smillie, artist's book, photo by Jenie Gao

Verse Us Language and Power Artist Matthew Owen Wead Curator Jenie Gao

Don't Shoot (I Said/We Said), photograph, image courtesy Matthew Owen Wead

Verse Us Language and Power Artist Matthew Owen Wead Curator Jenie Gao

Broken Language, woodcut, image courtesy Matthew Owen Wead

Verse Us Language and Power Artist Matthew Owen Wead Curator Jenie Gao

Don't Shoot (I Said/We Said), by Matthew Owen Wead, gallery photo by Jenie Gao

Verse Us Language and Power Artist Helen Lee Curator Jenie Gao

OMG, woodcut, image courtesy Helen Lee

Verse Us Language and Power Artist Helen Lee Curator Jenie Gao

OMGby Helen Lee, gallery photo by Jenie Gao

Verse Us Language and Power Artist Helen Lee Curator Jenie Gao

Maternal Proverb, artwork by Helen Lee, poster design by Isabella Kiser intern at Jenie Gao Studio

Verse / Us


Curators: Jenie Gao, Mallory Shotwell, Lisa Shoshany Anderson

Show concept and prospectus written by: Jenie Gao

Invited Artists: Julie Chen, Nina Ghanbarzadeh, Helen Lee, Tuesday Smillie, Chelsea Thompto, Matthew Owen Wead

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