Self portrait in salmon

Cynthia Foley exhibit features surreal animals, unexpected faces

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Cadillac-based artist Cynthia Foley smiled warmly at a crowd of wide-eyed attendees at the opening reception of her new exhibit, “Imagining Context: Seeing and Being Seen,” which opened Friday at the Lansing Art Gallery. One look at her complex works, layering textures and illustrations, and you immediately appreciate her presence, hoping you can steal some of her time — as much as to inquire about her work as to express your admiration for it. And while you can’t help but want to analyze the works being exhibited, Foley’s coy demeanor suggests you just look on and enjoy. The following exchange is exemplary.

“You have such a broad mind,” said an awestruck attendee.

“Oh, it’s just a bunch up made of stuff,” Foley joked.

“Imagining Context” displays a wide range of artistic talents packed into several pieces that cover the entire perimeter of Lansing Art Gallery’s space. Foley implements layers of imagery using a variety of materials to create stunning and bizarre results. Though it takes a line of questioning to get Foley to admit it, the works are meant to challenge the viewer. They are designed to pose questions of identity, and even broach such topics as gender stereotypes. Foley isn’t deliberately playing things close to chest, but rather prefers the works speak for themselves.

“I write better than I talk, so maybe just read my artist statement (for meaning),” said Foley. “It’s hard to articulate in words sometimes what an image is trying to say.”

While each work is different from the last, there are prevailing qualities that can be found throughout. The most obvious is the use of animals. Foley’s love of the natural world is on full display with a menagerie of everything from monkeys to bunny rabbits. But that’s only part of the recipe for “Imagining Context.”

One of the objectives in creating the pieces found in “Imagining Context” was to find creative places to insert human faces into the works. Faces peer out from the underside of fish in “Salmonoids,” adorn the breasts of various water foul in “Big Birds and Masks” and peer out of the mouths of veggie-toothed Walruses in “Carrots.” For everything these works aspire to be, they also unintentionally serve as selfportraits. Foley draws inspirations for these faces from observation, but generally defaults to using her own likeness.

“I don’t deliberately insert my face into everything I do,” said Foley. “It just seems neutral.”

That’s not to say it’s all beaks and prehensile tails. For instance, Foley’s “They Pear Their Own Nails” pays tribute to Spanish artist Francisco Goya’s “Caprichos.” Foley uses her skills as an illustrator to mimic the subjects from the Goya pieces and then layers them in with her own unique style, creating a seamless marriage of old and new. While Foley will enthusiastically profess her love for Goya, she tries to keep her influences at a minimum.

“I don’t look to many artists for inspiration,” said Foley. “I try to keep my work as original as possible.”

While Foley has only started exhibiting her work in the past couple decades, her origins as an artist date back to fourth grade elementary art class right here in Lansing. She recalls an instance when her art instructor recognized a particular project she was working on as showing great talent. She cites that moment as the catalyst for further exploring art’s place in her life. Foley went on to graduate from MSU and become an art educator herself. Given her recognition of the significance of that moment in her youth, Foley’s future career plans were no mere coincidence.

“Encouraging a child in the arts can have such power,” said Foley. “It’s crazy to think about.”

This marks the second time Foley has exhibited at the Lansing Art Gallery. While Foley doesn’t specifically recall, she thinks her previous show was in 2006. Since the process of creating her works is highly improvisational and takes a fair amount of time, it’s hard to say where Foley’s work will go next. Naturally, if you should inquire about the matter, like with everything else, Foley will play it cool.

“I’m not certain where it’s going,” said Foley. “But I’ll give it another 10 years.”

“Imagining Context: Seeing and Being Seen”

Feb. 20-Mar. 26 Tuesday-Friday 10 a.m.-4 p.m.; Saturday 1-4 p.m. Lansing Art Gallery 119 N. Washington Square, Lansing (517) 374-6400 lansingartgallery.org

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