Art Sprawl

An Interview with Marge Buckley coinciding with “Bringing The Outside In”

June 9, 2025 / ellen.mueller

This interview is also available as a zine.

“Bringing The Outside In” is on view through June 2025 at The Ox Museum, Indeed Brewing, 711 15th Ave NE, Minneapolis, MN 55413.

Photo Courtesy of Marge Buckley

EM: If you had to summarize your artistic practice in two sentences, what would you say?

MB: My primary mediums are painting and playwrighting; my work depicts people and the worlds we build together as flawed, challenging, and worthy of deep study. I use dramatic colors and surreal compositions as tools of optimism which assert that the systems around me can be transformed in radical ways.

EM: I’m loving these paintings with densely marked compositions – can you tell us a bit about your process?

MB: I’m an experimental artist in the sense that I love to experiment! I tend to just go for it based on an initial idea and reference materials, but without planning too much about how I’m actually going to paint the work. I usually do a couple layers of acrylic or gouache before I switch to oils, so the underpainting essentially becomes a sketch that I’m building off of. I’ve been playing with these scenes where nature takes over human industry, so I try to strike a balance where you can make out structures under the overgrowth.

EM: What else are you working on right now, and what should folx look forward to?
MB: I’ve always got a bunch of projects in the works, so here’s the next couple! I’ve got a few paintings up at Lanesboro Arts from June 7th-August 9th in a show called “Our Bright Unfolding” – https://lanesboroarts.org/calendar/our-bright-unfolding/. Plus, my theatre company Commutator Collective is throwing one of our classic experimental dance/theatre parties on June 28th, this time on the theme of Unwrapped/the Food Network…learn more at https://commutatorcollective.org/

Photo Courtesy of Marge Buckley

An Interview with Derek Meier coinciding with “Bringing The Outside In”

June 6, 2025 / ellen.mueller

This interview is also available as a zine.

“Bringing The Outside In” is on view through June 2025 at The Ox Museum, Indeed Brewing, 711 15th Ave NE, Minneapolis, MN 55413.

Photo courtesy of Derek Meier

EM: If you had to summarize your artistic practice in two sentences, what would you say?
DM: My process is one of action and redaction. I oscillate between two modes: instinctive action painting and editing back mark making to bring constructs and narratives into focus.

EM: I’m loving these paintings with bold mark-making and divided picture planes – can you tell us a bit about what influences this work?

DM: Much of my visual influence is built on landscapes that hold collaboration of organic and man made forms and finding space to invent within them.

EM: What else are you working on right now, and what should folx look forward to?

DM: I’m presently building a body of work for a solo show at Artistry this November.

an abstract painting with a lot of reds and pinks

Photo courtesy of Derek Meier

An Interview with Vincent Dezutti coinciding with “Bringing The Outside In”

June 3, 2025 / ellen.mueller

This interview is also available as a zine.

“Bringing The Outside In” is on view through June 2025 at The Ox Museum, Indeed Brewing, 711 15th Ave NE, Minneapolis, MN 55413.

a lamp with a tree projected over its shade

Photo courtesy of Vincent Dezutti

EM: If you had to summarize your artistic practice in two sentences, what would you say?

VD:I’m primarily a photographer and video artist with an experimental approach – examining how making and consuming images impacts our relationship with others, the world around us, and our own memories. My work intentionally foregrounds the artist’s hand to show how different photographic techniques and technologies document time and space to varying degrees of realism.

flowers projected on an open interior door

Photo courtesy of Vincent Dezutti

EM: I’m loving these latest photographs that look like they are made using projections – can you tell us a bit about them?

VD: They were made with projections! I actually used photos from a previous project that I shot at Tofte Lake Center in Ely, MN. The exhibition theme, Bringing the Outside In, was decided before I made the work, but projecting photos and re-photographing them has been something that’s been bouncing in my head for a while, so it was a perfect opportunity to actually do something I’ve been wanting to do. I’m really interested in the photograph as an object itself, and there’s a lot going on in this series that I’m really excited about! Projecting each of the nature photos on the walls of home recontextualizes them and deliberately distorts their shape, mirroring the way that photography itself is imperfect at accurately documenting its subject, as well as how memory distorts over time. I’m also using previous work to create the new series, which literalizes the way I take ideas from one project and build toward others in the growth of my artistic practice. I also just really like the play between shapes and colors in these images. The series is titled Reminder because the photos serve as a reminder of the thing they actually depict, but also as a reminder to myself to take a deep breath and step outside sometimes.

Photo courtesy of Vincent Dezutti

EM: What else are you working on right now?

VD: I feel like I’m always working on a bunch of things, most of which are about 25% done…. Every couple of projects actually makes it out into the world, eventually. Right now I’m working on a short film made from a series of 35mm photos I shot while biking over the winter. I shot a couple of rolls, scanned them all, then started physically damaging and rescanning them so I could keep sequencing them as they slowly degrade with cuts, scratches, and pen marks. It’s still very much a work in progress, but I’d love to screen or have it show in a gallery setting at some point in the near future. I also do a lot with cyanotypes – I have a couple that will be showing at the Phipps Center this fall in their Human x Machine: Exploring Art in the Age of AI exhibition (no AI was used for my work, but it uses found AI created images from Instagram).

a projection over window curtains and blinds

Photo courtesy of Vincent Dezutti

Disclosure: I know Vincent from a past walking workshop.

Moving through “JAHEZ” by Meher Khan

May 17, 2025 / ellen.mueller

This reflection is also available as a zine.

MEHER KHAN

JAHEZ

May 7-31 at This and That

2731 E 25th St, Minneapolis MN 55406

Formally, this show grabs your attention with the warm colors and soft shapes of the block-printed and draped saris to the right when you walk in, followed by the stage and the space through the doorway straight ahead.

Having knowledge of Khan’s work from studio visits and past exhibitions, I knew this show was likely to delve into aspects of her second-generation, Indian-American identity. I walked to the artist statement as directed by the gallery sitter, and I had to agree with their assessment that it is really well written and helps contextualize the entire show.

I won’t quote the entire statement here, but themes of identity and cultural expectations take center stage. As Khan state, “‘Jahez’ is a bridal trousseau for a wedding that never happened, self-appointed heirlooms with nowhere to go.”

A black sari hangs to the right of the print studio, with a partially obscured photo of the artist behind the textile. The arrangement and the detail on the sari both invite closer looking, which reinforces concepts about adapting these objects to the artist’s goals.

On the walls on either side of the black sari piece are two large paintings from Kahn’s exploration of the Urdu language, and showcase her sense of humor. The green one over the stage means “butt,” and the orange one means “turd” specifically the kind when one is constipated.

I really enjoyed “Patched Gateway,” made of a collection of screenprinted patches and block printed shapes, as well as the work to its left showcasing a quilt-like arrangement of patches. These works helped mark the change in purpose for the space beyond, where hand-printed bandanas are made.

It’s worth the time to make your way over to check out this show. Hours are Mondays and Fridays 12-4pm, and Wednesdays 3-7pm. There are also a number of activities planned during the run of the show – check out Meher Khan’s Instagram page for more details: https://www.instagram.com/meherk_art/

Reflecting on “Patio – de casa” by Edson Rosas at White Bear Center for the Arts

August 6, 2023 / ellen.mueller

This reflection is also available as a zine.

I stopped by the opening reception for Patio-de casa by Edson Rosas at White Bear Center for the Arts. This exhibition is on view July 10-August 19, 2023 at 4971 Long Ave. White Bear Lake, MN 55110.

installation with blue painted wall, print and fake grass

Edson Rosas, Outside Inside, monoprint, relief ink, posca marker, 30″x22″, $275

This poignant exhibition contrasts heavy emotional content with soft shapes and highly saturated colors. Rosas highlights his Mexican roots and concepts of home and family through a combination of printmaking, soft sculpture, and installation.

a cartoonish portrait on a long wall in a gallery

Edson Rosas, Ed, monoprint, relief ink, 30″x22″, $250

The long gallery furnishes the space for contemplation that the work deserves. Attention to edges and negative space throughout the exhibition provide a softness and safety.

Edson Rosas, Memories in English, monoprint, relief ink, 30″x22″, $350

Playful imagery and a rainbow of colors invite the viewer in for reflection, while the topics of deportation, borders, and translation take center stage. Rosas brings forward messy unresolved systemic issues related immigration and frames them in a deeply personal way for public consideration.

Edson Rosas, Sugar Cane, monoprint, relief ink, 30″x22″, SOLD

Some works have no text and just indulge in play, color, and shape, which is also welcome.

Edson Rosas, Guau, monoprint, relief ink, posca marker, 30″x22″, $275

Rosas is generous with his storytelling, sharing intimate reflections filtered through the mechanics of Google translation.

Edson Rosas, Outside Inside, monoprint, relief ink, posca marker, 30″x22″, $275

Squishy shapes and artificial grass invite closer inspection and indicate a care and concern for welcoming. Catch this show while you can!

Disclosure: I first me Edson Rosas as a co-worker from my time in the MCAD MFA program.

Reflecting on “Second Sources” by Genie Hien Tran at White Bear Center for the Arts

June 13, 2023 / ellen.mueller

This reflection is also available as a zine.

I stopped by the opening reception for Second Sources by Genie Hien Tran at White Bear Center for the Arts. This exhibition is on view April 24-June 16, 2023 at 4971 Long Ave. White Bear Lake, MN 55110.

a drawing of a yellow gate over a photograph of medical equipment

Genie Hien Tran, “Untitled (merging)”

I was lucky to be present for the artist talk on this body of work, and one of the concepts that stood out to me was the squishiness of memories. Genie Hien Tran talked about a gate at her childhood home in Vietnam, and the struggle to remember its exact form once she discovered there were no existing photographs of it. She consulted with relatives, and there was not a consensus. Throughout the show are different interpretations of the gate, creating a visual through-line for the exhibition.

and orange bordered collage featuring hands

Genie Hien Tran, “Am Phu”

The installation choices felt precise to the concept of memory. On large collaged works, various imagery comes together in what felt like moments of potential clarity, only to scatter again into smaller component parts. Floor-to-ceiling looser drawings of the gates live next to small reproductions of identification material or historic documents related to the American war in Vietnam.

person viewing an art exhibition with large and small drawings on the wall

Genie Hien Tran, large drawing: “Remembering”, small yellow gate image: “Untitled (merging)”

In the artist talk, there was also mention of the reproduction of various specific family photographs. In some works, those reproductions are worn and battered, then glued and taped over handmade paper, which is also made of various past imagery and documents. This layering of both materials and meaning invites close and slow looking as viewers search for clues to this narrative.

Genie Hien Tran, “Touch”

This work is deeply personal and lends itself to reflecting on one’s own family, memories, loss, and reconstruction. The artist’s keen eye for color, shape, and repetition keeps viewers engaged and looking for more.

a collage with 4 copies of a father and daughter

Genie Hien Tran, “Charteuse (to hold)”

Disclosure: I first me Genie Hien Tran from my time in the MCAD MFA program, and we have published a conversation together on Art Sprawl.

Reflecting on “Less is Enough” by Zoe Cinel at Second Shift Studio

June 5, 2023 / ellen.mueller

This reflection is also available as a zine.

At the opening reception for Less is Enough by Zoe Cinel at Second Shift Studio, I spent some time reflecting on the following works. This exhibition is on view May 17-June 12, 2023 at 1128 Payne Ave, St Paul, MN 55106.

4 photos of dying flowers hanging on a wall

Zoe Cinel, “Nature Mora Series” (2022) Epson banner prints, 58×32″ each

Cinel asks viewers to slow down, look closely, and think deeply about “chronic illness, care, and softness from an individual and communal point of view” (via written material at exhibition). The photos above feature dying bouquets of flowers with various prescription medicine bottles wedged among the stems. The images piqued my curiosity with small clues as to who these belong to (Cinel) and what they might be for (some of the medicine names are visible), while leaving space for broad interpretations to illness generally.

detail of photo with dying flowers and medicine bottle

Zoe Cinel, “Natura Morta with Prednisone” (2022) Epson banner print, 58″x32″ [detail]

There’s a vulnerability in sharing this often hidden information so publicly. Illness and disability are not well respected in American society, despite the fact that all people move in and out of disability throughout their lives. Sharing and uplifting discussion of this topic helps de-stigmatize people living with all sorts of illnesses and disabilities. The scale and detail of the Natura Morta photographs draws in viewers for that closer consideration.

detail photos of stuffed brown corduroy hands and cyanotype handwriting on a patch

Zoe Cinel, “Rest with Me” (2023) repurposed hospital mattresses, donated fabric and pillow stuffing, cyanotype prints; variable dimensions

Another piece that drew me in for deeper contemplation (so far in that I neglected to get a full shot of the installation!) was Rest with Me (details pictured here). These stuffed supports reminded me of a cross between a bean-bag chair and a body pillow with arms, which truly does invite softness, lounging, and reflection. The arms are covered in cyanotype patches with written reflections from past discussions on care. The position and placement of this installation invites full-body participation and rest.

two people holding heating pads with corduroy hands attached

Zoe Cinel, “Heating Pads” (2022-23) repurposed clothes, rice; dimensions variable

Nearby is Heating Pads, which is strategically placed near a shelf of books for participants to peruse. These heating pads repeat the soft hand forms from Rest with Me and are pictured here. The materials hold sentimental significance to Cinel, but also are an excellent textural choice due to the soft linear details of the corduroy, which invite touching.

an orange lit installation featuring a video screen

Zoe Cinel, “Self-portrait with Flare” (2023), monitor, video, tulle fabric, pillow stuffing, plastic, yarn, velvet, glitter glue, two mannequin arms, chain; dimensions variable

There was an additional video installation, Self-portrait with Flare, which featured a video screen, florescent lights, and sculptural elements. To me, the full transformation of the space of this installation, so different from the rest of the gallery, echoed the moment Cinel found out she was diagnosed with RA (Rheumatoid Arthritis). The shock of color, the towering structure, and the imagery on screen all stops the viewer in their tracks.

Overall, I was struck by the care and vulnerability of this exhibition, and welcomed the invitation to rest, reflect, and pace myself.

Disclosure: I know Zoe Cinel both as an alum of the MCAD MFA program, and as a participant in her “Conversations About Care” discussion group in November 2022.

Reflection on “[Re]collections & Earthly Artifacts” by Melissa Borman at Rosalux

April 24, 2023 / ellen.mueller

This reflection is also available as a zine.

I stopped by [Re]collections & Earthly Artifacts by Melissa Borman at Rosalux to spend some time with this multi-media exhibition (on view through April 30, 2023 at 315 West 48th Street, Minneapolis, MN 55419).

a latch hook circle with a rose pattern hanging on the wall

Melissa Borman, “Rose,” 2023, latch hook rug, 20″ diameter x 1.25″ deep

While this exhibition had a clear foundation in photography, I enjoyed the many multimedia pieces, such as this latch hook rug. Like many of the works in this exhibition, Rose projects a sense of nostalgia and memory (I especially felt this in Sanctuary too). Rose also highlights the technical creation of images, and its own latch hook directions are featured in the artist book that accompanies this exhibition. I noticed this emphasis on visual components across multiple works, whether in terms of the enlarged half-tones in Memorial, or in this case, individual pieces of yarn brought together to create a visual whole.

a detail image of a half-tone dove flying in the sky

Melissa Borman, “Memorial,” 2022, archival pigment print with custom frame, 18″x44″

Multiple works connect to ideas of shifting and change. In Troubled Waters, a beautiful grid of images of ocean waves churning, we see the actual tumult of nature, and right next to it, in My Father was a Flower Garden, Borman’s father is featured in a lenticular print that shifts from his military portrait to tropical flowers. As she shares in the exhibition statement, he was a closeted gay man, and this piece seems a beautiful tribute to that challenge.

a military portrait of a man with the name Borman and some flowers on the right

Melissa Borman, “My Father Was a Flower Garden,” 2023, lenticular print, 32.75″x24″

I also enjoyed the collaborative work between Borman and Julie Reneé Benda, The White Cat. This piece features Borman’s photograph of a white cat sculpture in a green field and Benda’s short written reflection about the image, which closes with, “…to remind me that love is the gift of being seen.” It feels like many works in this exhibition hold that same sentiment, especially the small box of snap shots that accompanies The Journal of a Sea Animal Living on Land.

a photo of a ceramic cat in the grass and a short story printed next to it

Melissa Borman and Julie Reneé Benda, “The White Cat,” 2023, archival pigment prints, 17″x25.5″

Also on view is a striking artist book with the same title as the exhibition. It features and essay by Sheila Dickinson, and was carefully crafted with several translucent inserts that mimic the qualities of a lenticular print. The reproductions are excellent and the book includes all the works in the exhibition. I highly recommend stopping by gallery hours when you can leisurely spend time with this text and the rest of the work.

an artist book held open by a hand featuring imagery of waves and leaves

Melissa Borman, “[Re]collections & Earthly Artifacts,” 2023, artist book

Disclosure: Melissa Borman and I are both members of Title Collective.

Reflection on “Body//Weight” by Christopher Selleck at Mia

April 17, 2023 / ellen.mueller

This reflection is also available as a zine.

I stopped by Body//Weight by Christopher Selleck at Mia to check out the photographs, video work, and interactive mirrored installation (on view through June 25, 2023 at 2400 Third Ave S, Minneapolis 55404). As the exhibition text suggests, this show highlights “the nature of masculinity within society” using the subject matter of men who engage in weightlifting.

view of large gallery with photographs on walls

Christopher Selleck, Body//Weight

The U.S. Bank Gallery which houses the Minnesota Artists Exhibition Program (MAEP) has a specific two-room layout, and it’s always interesting to see how different artists tackle this architectural challenge. In Selleck’s case, he placed all of the video and installation work in the first room, which seemed like a smart move for setting a tone before entering the larger section of the gallery housing most of the photography work.

a nude man on a scale on a vertical video screen

Christopher Selleck, Scale/Body Weight, 2018-2022, video, 4:00 minutes

The video works are relatively short and repetitive, setting up brief meditative moments to consider concepts of self-regulation of weight. The videos are formally beautiful and might remind one of Bill Viola in their vertical framing and focus on singular figures and specific gestures.

a mirrored wall with a stack of cast plaster weights

Christopher Selleck, 5’10″/#205, 2019, cast plaster on custom pedestal

The mirrored installation includes a tall slender stack of cast plaster weights on a tiny table, heightening the viewer’s self-awareness and inviting contemplation of the artist’s mention of body dysmorphia, “a disconnection between the real and imagined self.” I found it particularly poignant when one is alone in the gallery.

3 photographic portraits of weightlifters without shirts

Christopher Selleck, Joey (2020), Kolton (2021), Adam M. (2022), pigmented ink print mounted to Dibond with luster laminate

As I passed from the small room into the larger one, I appreciated the careful curation of images into pairs, trios, and single works for consideration. Having just passed through the first room contemplating issues of self-perception, weight control, and ideas of body sculpting, I found myself closely examining facial expressions and chosen poses. Selleck mentions he works collaboratively with his models. Voyeurism, masculinity, and vulnerability all stirred together as I walked from image to image thinking about each person making choices about how to look into the camera and position their bodies.

a white man with blonde hair posing with his shirt off and one short leg rolled up

Christopher Selleck, Josh, 2022, pigmented ink print mounted to Dibond with luster laminate

The time investment of weightlifting as a practice was front of mind, as well as the passage of time and how bodies are constantly in a state of flux. The futility of efforts towards controlling our bodies was clear as each image feels like a person captured for just a moment in a process of striving, whether it’s for themselves, or the approval of others.

a nude man holding two weights and turned away from the camera

Christopher Selleck, Mike, 2021, pigmented ink print mounted to Dibond with luster laminate

There were also several works that felt like specifically formal studies of societal standards of beauty with the figures turned away from the camera, and the full focus on the musculature and lighting. Small indicators of individuality were present, often through tattoos. I’m limiting the images I share here to encourage people to go visit the exhibition themselves, as there are many more works to check out.

Disclosure: I first met Christopher Selleck in 2018 as an alum of the MFA program at MCAD.

A Trio Map in St. Paul

March 21, 2023 / ellen.mueller

a white plaster bulge between concrete and wire boxes

Zack Leonard, “Spewing Neglect”, concrete, metal, packing peanuts, and plaster in balloon, 12”x 6”x 8 3/4” inches, 2023

This past weekend I discovered a walk-able trio of St. Paul art hot spots that you should check out, and made a zine you can print off to follow my path.

Lowertown Underground Artists
308 Prince St., B100 Saint Paul, MN 55101
Hours: Sat-Sun, 10am-2pm

The Minnesota Museum of American Art (The M)
350 Robert Street North, St. Paul, MN 55101
Hours: Visible from the street, all hours

Night Club Gallery
340 WABASHA ST. N. ST. PAUL, MN 55102
Hours: Fri-Sun, 1-5pm

Julia Garcia, “Bloom” 2023, acrylic and ink on canvas, 38″x38″

This was my first time at Night Club Gallery at their new St. Paul location for Julia Garcia’s new exhibition, SAWGRASS, and I was delighted to find it’s within easy walking distance of Lowertown Underground Artists, where I took in Zach Leonard’s show, Awkward Oddities. The fun bonus was as I walked from LUA to Night Club, I passed Im/Perfect Slumbers in the windows of The M and Jose Dominguez’s work in skyway!

I would recommend this trek to anyone, and if you do it this coming weekend, you can still catch all 3 (Zach Leonard’s show is open this coming Saturday, March 25 for 10am-2pm or 6-8pm for a closing reception).

vinyl window imagery of people and household objects

Katya Oicherman and Peng Wu, “Imperfect Slumbers” at The M windows

Jose Dominguez, “It’s Okay to Laugh” 2020, Vinyl

An Interview with Marge Buckley coinciding with “Bringing The Outside In”

An Interview with Derek Meier coinciding with “Bringing The Outside In”

An Interview with Vincent Dezutti coinciding with “Bringing The Outside In”

Reflecting on “Patio – de casa” by Edson Rosas at White Bear Center for the Arts

Reflecting on “Second Sources” by Genie Hien Tran at White Bear Center for the Arts

Reflecting on “Less is Enough” by Zoe Cinel at Second Shift Studio

Reflection on “[Re]collections & Earthly Artifacts” by Melissa Borman at Rosalux

Reflection on “Body//Weight” by Christopher Selleck at Mia

A Trio Map in St. Paul

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