Meet the New James Watrous Exhibiting Artists on January 13 at 5:30 pm

Inferior Mirages and Incidental Detours: Chele Isaac & BA Harrington
On view at the James Watrous Gallery from January 10–February 26

MADISON—Chele Isaac and BA Harrington's collaborative, multimedia installation work explores themes of dislocation, migration, and the way nostalgia distorts and narrows the idea of "American-ness." For their latest project, they took a strategic, meandering road trip from Madison to San Diego in early 2011, following historic migration routes like the Oregon Trail, the Santa Fe Trail, and Highway 66. The westward road trip has become a popular culture cliché, a quintessentially American approach to examining one’s circumstances and starting anew. In taking this trip, Harrington and Isaac set out to grapple with their own mental image of the heroic, hyper-masculine American West.

Guided by an inquiry into how nostalgia influences our identification as Americans, they visited a dizzying array of historic markers, small history museums, alternative communities, truck stops and border patrol check points. The work in this show represents an attempt to make manifest the encounter with landscapes traveled, people encountered and stories unspooled. Their installation at the James Watrous Gallery will use video projections, sound, and large-scale sculpture to create a deeply allusive hybrid installation of vignettes reminiscent of museum dioramas. Visit the gallery for a free opening reception on Friday, January 13, 5:30–7:30 pm, with artists' talks at 6:30 pm.

Harrington and Isaac’s collaborative and individual work has been shown regionally and nationally. Isaac cofounded a graphic design company before returning to school to earn her MFA in sculpture from UW–Madison, with an emphasis on multi-media installation. Harrington, a traditionally trained furniture-maker, earned her MFA in wood and MA in Art History, also at UW–Madison. Both artists live and work in Madison.

FOR MEDIA ONLY: Download images from the exhibition at flickr.com.

This exhibition issupported by the Wisconsin Arts Board with funds from the State of Wisconsin and the National Endowment for the Arts. Ongoing support for the Watrous Gallery comes from DoubleTree Hotel-Madison. The Wisconsin Academy thanks these sponsors for their generous support.

About the James Watrous Gallery

The James Watrous Gallery is the premier gallery for Wisconsin visual art. A program of the Wisconsin Academy of Sciences, Arts and Letters, the James Watrous Gallery presents works by Wisconsin artists, Wisconsin art and craft history, works owned by Wisconsin collectors, and exhibitions that bridge the sciences, arts, and humanities. Our mission is to promote the visual arts in Wisconsin through quality exhibitions and related educational programs. For gallery hours and more information on exhibiting artists, please visit wisconsinacademy.org/gallery  or call 608-265-2500.

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