Schlomer Haus Gallery is pleased to present Showering of Sparkling Bits, a solo show from artist Cobi Moules. In a thought provoking exploration of queer bodies in space, Moules infects the American landscape with queerness. The work reimagines foundational 19th-century landscape imagery by blending 1980s horror movie references, paintings from the Hudson River School, glitter, and silicone to challenge American identity formation with queer materiality.
Moules asks questions like What does it mean to be a queer body in nature? How is that body represented and who is granted access to the spaces that are foundational to the larger American identity? How can we rethink the ways in which our bodies move within these spaces while also confronting the formative political and social ideologies of our past and the ways in which they have shaped our present-day? In this show, he playfully addresses layers of physicality, identity, and historical American representation.
As Moules explains, “This project examines these formative works while rendering new views of a non-hierarchical landscape full of queer joy. Amorphous silicone bodies undulate over and around the paintings, reframing and obscuring the historical narratives while revealing spaces reimagined. The squishy silicone material is somewhat reminiscent of the 1980s The Blob with the texture of a fleshy sex toy. There is a sense of freedom and autonomy within these bodies, lacking firm structure while still having bodily specificity such as moles, pimples, and occasionally hair. Within these paintings, there are often glitter and sparkling jockstraps strewn about, signifying the remnants of a queer gathering that left the landscape a lot more interesting and exciting than before.”
With 36 pieces ranging in size, Moules creates an impressive integration of canvas and silicone, deftly contrasting the mediums in some, while choosing to blend them almost seamlessly in others. The resulting exhibition juxtaposes puritanical, conservative Christian history with the imagery of 1980s horror films that have become representative of queer culture, for an undeniable deep dive into identity.
Showering of Sparkling Bits opens May 3, 2024 at Schlomer Haus Gallery.
About Cobi Moules
Cobi Moules received a BFA from San Jose State University in 2004. In 2010, he received an MFA from The School of Museum of Fine Arts and Tufts University. His work has been exhibited at culturally significant institutions, including The Leslie Lohman Museum, The Minneapolis Institute of Art, the Jepson Center, The Museum of Fine Arts Boston, Crystal Bridges Museum, Ogunquit Museum of American Art, and Smack Mellon. Notable awards include the SMFA Traveling Fellowship, the Ruth and Harold Chenven Foundation Grant, and the Joan Mitchell MFA Grant. His work is in the collections of the Crystal Bridges Museum, Leslie Lohman Museum, RISD Museum, Cornell Fine Arts Museum, and 21c Museum. He has been an artist-in-resident at Bemis Center for Contemporary Art, Ucross Foundation, Kimmel Harding Nelson, Vermont Studio Center, and Space Gallery, among others. He currently lives and works in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
About Schlomer Haus Gallery
Schlomer Haus Gallery, located in San Francisco, is deeply committed to providing a platform for next-gen and mid-career queer artists. The gallery’s objective is to amplify diverse voices and perspectives through the compelling works of underrepresented and emerging artists. SHG is dedicated to nurturing and promoting the vibrant creativity of these artists, fostering a space where their voices can resonate and inspire.
SHG has exhibited works by Clifford Prince King, Zackary Drucker, Matt Lipps, Chloe Sherman, Kostis Fokas, Jun Yang, Colin J. Radcliffe and Kevin Sabo.
