EQUILIBRIA
SFMOMA Artists Gallery, Solo Show, 2018
NB
“Nota bene” is a Latin phrase meaning “mark well.”
As time passes, our perspective shifts. This exhibition was originally titled #VenusOnMars. I’ve since renamed this body of work to EQUILIBRIA, after one of my favorite pieces in the show and to a concept which more accurately captures how I relate to this body of work today.
–Bernadette Cay, January 2024
Photos by Stef Etow
PART I.
GEOMETRIC GROUP
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SAFE
True listening requires safety and trust. The outer squares guard the light within, while giving it space to breathe.
Acrylic on Belgian linen, 48 “ x 60” -
CONNECTED
The deepest form of empathy is seeing a piece of ourselves within one another. Each outer square has an inner square of another color. The colorways adhere to the Four Color Theorem.
Acrylic on Belgian linen, 48” x 60”
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EQUILIBRIA
Harmony can exist among differences. The circles vary in size and color, yet they connect. Plural for “equilibrium,” this piece honors the complexity of holding multiple co-existing truths.
Acrylic on Belgian linen, 48” x 60”
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MOTHER / CHILD
We are all born of a mother. Amidst our differences, we share the same process of origination. The ovum within a mother grows into a child–indviduated yet connected.
Acrylic on Belgian linen, 48” x 60”
PART II.
KINETIC GROUP
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MARIN GROUP
Site-specific work that honors the Bay Areas natural gems, the balance of earth and water, movement, and flow
The Sail
Wind pushes boats forward, a metaphor for the flow of life. The triangular shape evokes the feminine (yin) aspect and references the sailboats docked outside of the gallery. Acrylic on canvas, 48” x 60.”
Her Back / Le Fleuve
The undulating strokes evoke the curves of a woman’s back and the flow of a river carving through land. Acrylic on canvas, 48” x 60.”
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PORTALS GROUP
Doorways to the unknown–the potential, inner lives, fears, and mystery which are beyond our day-to-day experiences.
Fear is Boring
The first piece I made in the series, titled after a quote from Elizabeth Gilbert. Acrylic on canvas, 48” x 60.”
Rings of JupiterMovement, color, and balance work together to create a shape defined by both negative and positive space: the piece could be seen as a continuous sphere or as rings. Acrylic on canvas, 48” x 60.”
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The Aletheiometer
The swirling, circular forms are an invitation to look within and listen for our own inner guidance. From αλήθεια the Greek word for “truth,” this piece was inspired by the eponymous object in the book The Golden Compass.
Acrylic on canvas, 48” x 48”
