SUGAR-COATED
Curator’s Statement:

Sugar-Coated explores the topic of euphemisms in their many facets of American culture. Euphemistic language ranges from attempting to speak politely about uncomfortable topics to more nefarious attempts to disguise truth and purposely mislead audiences. Topics include bodily functions, body parts, puberty, sex, aging, death, human suffering, politics, religion, and war. Euphemisms are also used to soften the delivery of bad news such as death, loss of employment, or removal of rights or privileges. Our visual exploration of euphemisms reveals their effect on our culture and how their usage affects both the individual and society as a whole. For example, what does the use of blue liquid in a commercial advertising feminine products reveal about our society’s feelings towards menstruation, and does the euphemism continue to shape that view? Comedian George Carlin is well known for his act on euphemisms in which he suggests the term Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder is cloaked in lengthy technical jargon to disguise its harsh reality and has resulted in a lack of support for veterans suffering from the condition. We believe this topic is highly relevant to all audiences due to the current political climate and ever-increasing amount of visual marketing, making our ability to identify and decode euphemisms increasingly crucial.

This show idea began with a casual conversation I had with two of my artist friends, Michelle Larson and Lisie Brundage. Catching up about life and work, we talked about the stupid things we all have to deal with and the euphemisms that make things more difficult. We joked about how fun it would be to construct these ideas visually for a show. The idea lingered and soon SUGAR-COATED was in the works. We invited a select group of artists to join in and interpret the theme of euphemisms however they wanted. We opened the show’s explorations to all kinds of topics that ranging from the silly to the ridiculous to the serious. There were no rules. We then curated which work would be included in the show during the late summer of 2018.

In addition to the work our ten artists created, we designed an interactive community piece for viewers to take part in. This piece consisted of four large cylinders set with white decals of euphemistic words. Each cylinder represented a larger theme or category or euphemisms. These containers were partially filled with stabilizing base of sugar and then placed on a pedestal covered in white fur. Around their bases and in fur were partially eaten pieces of candy and discarded wrappers. Sticky lollypops and half-chewed Tootsie Rolls clung to the fir with a playful and unsettling moment of messiness and ruin. A large glass bowl with a fur accent stood at the show entrance full to the brim with candy. A short statement explained that every viewer was invited to eat their fill of candy then dispense their wrapper inti the cylinder of euphemisms for which they dealt with the most in society or their personal life. Soon the containers began to fill like odd, brightly colored, and reflective bar graphs from a surreal world of statistics.

The four oil paintings I contributed to the show played with layered imagery and interpretations derived from euphemistic language and actions that pop up around the milestones in our lives. These paintings were accompanied by a greeting card targeted towards these specific life events whether public or personal. As I was developing the concept of these pieces, I questioned how the simplicity of euphemisms clashs with the complex human experiences of sex, pregnancy, aging, and death. Birds and the bees conversations during a teenager’s puberty years. Sending lilies and sympathy cards after a death with, “They’re in a better place,” phrases. Birthdays for someone beyond a certain age, an age which is not allowed to be spoken and is substituted for a variety of more complimentary lies. Or the many descriptions given to women when they become pregnant such as bitten by the one-eye snake and well wishes given to the little monster coming along.