2
Exhibitions
Secrete, Augment,
Testify: Works by
Chloe Darke
Russell and Paula
Panczenko MFA Prize
April 26–June 16, 2019
Leslie and Johanna Garfield Galleries
Chloe Darke’s work suggests historic or perhaps futuristic medical apparatus: a row of simple,
linear tweezer-like silver implements could be jewelry; a series of slightly smaller items
presented on a tray; tubes with small containers attached. Are these vehicles for fluids to enter
or leave the human body? Visceral images of corporeality are conjured by Darke’s work and the
inability to clearly identify her instruments makes them uncanny and disturbing.
At a time when technology is being created to enhance our bodies and minds, when attempts
are being made by to legislate women’s bodies, a young female artist conjures up a visual
language where she writes the rules and creates the tools. Darke’s aesthetic is rooted in power,
discomfort, and mystery.
The juror for this year’s Chazen Prize is Alison Ferris, Director of Curatorial Affairs at the Des
Moines Art Center. This exhibition is supported by the Russell and Paula Panczenko Fund for
an outstanding MFA student, and the Russell Panczenko Prize for Excellence in the Visual Arts.
RIGHT: Chloe Darke (American b. 1989) Cordyceps Extraction Kit, 2017, red brass, sterling silver, steel, cherry, magnifying lens.