Michael Saunders, Raquel Da Silva, and Michael MacDonald
On view: July 8 – August 6, 2023
Opening Reception: July 8, 4 – 7pm

TWISTED TOONS is an exhibition at 5-50 Gallery that features the works of artists Michael Saunders, Raquel Da Silva, and Michael MacDonald. United in their visual connections to popular media such as cartoons, comics, and graffiti, each artist possesses their own distinct style. Relating to the aforementioned media through the their fun, eye-catching visuals, these works diverge from them in that they are somewhat darker and edgier both in terms of formal qualities and themes. All of the works included incorporate aspects of everyday life, but with a twist that makes you reconsider how we perceive and interact with the commonplace subjects and themes we encounter daily. The exhibition will be on view from July 8th through August 6th, with an opening reception on July 8th from 4-7 pm.

Cosmic dolphins, dancing stars, domesticated cats, and other odd forms populate Michael Saunders’ eye-catching paintings. Saunders’ works make deep impressions on the spirit, through their depictions of the joy, humor, and absurdity of a beautiful momentary experience. Sometimes poetic, always silly, his art is not meant to be taken too seriously. Layers of paint and color evoke a physical sensation in the viewer and emphasize the materiality of his practice. Gouache, oil, spray, and any material that calls out to him are utilized to heighten the feeling and textures of his works.

Raquel Da Silva’s work centers around the exploration of fundamental cultural narratives and societal concerns, investigating their integration into the fabric of daily existence. Working predominantly in painting, her recent works aim to capture fleeting moments of ordinary life, encapsulating both the small joys and the challenges stemming from the prevailing economic and environmental landscape. Da Silva aims to create a type of visual diary that offers an insight into our current times and can serve as a time capsule for future generations. The inclusion of loosely painted vases within her paintings pays tribute to the tradition of utilizing painted pottery as a means of documentation about significant events during bygone eras.

Michael MacDonald’s paintings depict minute scenes that hint at a larger, more surreal narrative. Hyper-rendered volume and shadows, flattened textures, vibrant colors, and faceless features lend an uncanny and sinister undertone to these otherwise comic scenes, and they remove the artist’s hand from the work just enough so that the viewer has space to interpret and claim a little ownership over MacDonald’s narrative and intent. In his work, the paintings produce more questions than they do answers, focusing instead on creating a specific emotional tenor in lieu of providing a succinct and straightforward anecdotal tale.