"The Brand New Talk Collection" adorns Gallery Neptune this November with an exhibit that parodies apparel, accessories and attitude by the seasoned wit of three regional artists Donna M. McCullough, Jody Mussoff and Joyce Zipperer.
Donna M. McCullough's dresses in metal have been exhibited in regional galleries and museums for the past ten years. Her work examines the roles of women she observed while growing up who were expected to excel in rigorous household and family management while maintaining a delicate, feminine veneer. Commercially decorated metal has proven to be an ideal medium for this work since it can be manipulated to appear feminine and soft while at the same time retain its strength and support.
Jody Mussoff, best known for her large, colored pencil drawings on paper, uses a cast of beautiful, sometimes puzzled, sometimes courageous women as self portraiture to document her life. The idiosyncrasies of each figure and her relationship to animals or objects in the same picture plane invite us to read this artwork as narrative whether it is portrayed in colored pencil, or more recently in ceramic tiles, platters and artist books. Mussoff's art is a visual diary of situation and circumstance that manage to employ absurdity and tenderness at the same time.
Joyce Zipperer's lifelong interest in the design and construction of costumes and clothing has been the catalyst for her rich career in sculpture. In her newest series, she presents oversized accessories from the past including a giant charm bracelet, a giant strand of pearls and a giant pearl ring. The importance we place on these objects to adorn and beautify are magnified through the artist's skill to create them in pristine grand proportions.