big deep ocean of drawing/putting my head in a bucket

curated by will sutton

will sutton, kat friedmann, haylie jimenez, jarrett curtis, nerv, mia garcia, quin crumb

curatorial statement

This exhibition, “Big deep ocean of drawing/putting my head in bucket” is my first personal curatorial experience and collaboration with Versa. I am incredibly thankful for this team, who have continually been working hard to provide incredibly strong shows this last year and a half. Every exhibition has given me something extra to look forward to; and I am incredibly thankful for that.

Curating this show was amazingly fun and difficult. Throughout the first month of planning, I was incredibly overwhelmed. Being asked to collaborate with my favorite gallery was enough to put a great deal of stress on myself. Much of this pressure laid in the great expansiveness and strength of the artists around me, as I take great inspiration from so many of my peers. To narrow the concept of the exhibition, I focused on my interest in sculpture and drawing; surveying my general passion of materiality. In my own practice, materiality is where I leave the most meaning, so discovering others approaches was incredibly exciting for me. I found the curatorial process both challenging but incredibly rewarding, giving myself the rare opportunity to experience work that influences me in a new way. 

I would like to thank the Versa gallery for this opportunity as it has definitely felt like “a dream come true” to say the least. I am still coming to grips with how thrilled I am for the exhibition. Again, thank you, Versa, for choosing me to show my work, as well as giving me the opportunity to curate the other works in the exhibition. 

Thanks,

Will Sutton.