Entanglements by Ecofeminist Artist Amanda Thackray

The Center for the Visual Arts Gallery is proud to present “Entanglements,” an exhibition highlighting the transformative and thought-provoking work of ecofeminist artist-educator Amanda Thackray. The exhibit will run until April 29th and feature several of Thackray’s multidisciplinary pieces. On Friday, April 14th, visitors can attend a Weaving Demonstration at 2:00 pm, followed by an Artist Talk at 6:00 pm. “Entanglements” celebrates the intersection of art and social justice and promises to engage and inspire viewers of all backgrounds.

As an ecofeminist artist-educator, Thackray collaborates with biologists, ethnographers, natural and found fibers, and site-specific water to create objects and tableaus that inspire environmentally centered conversations. The artist often stages projects that engage the public through participatory, perfunctory projects that combine art, science, and community, specifically focusing on the human connection to waterways.

“Initially, I created work about vast oceans — plastics & microplastics in the ocean and the phenomenon of ghost nets,” said Thackray. “Recently, I am interested in hyper-local water, specifically the Passaic River.”

The artist’s work is foregrounded in traditional/experimental drawing, printmaking, and papermaking processes.

“Notably, I employ hand papermaking processes to create complex forms referencing abandoned, lyrically floating, tangled netting,” Thackray said. “When creating handmade paper, I engage with water — often site-specific water — to create imagery that is directly tied, both materially & conceptually, to that same water. Traces of site-specificity remain in the paper object long after the individual fibers of pulp have coalesced & dried.”

During the exhibition’s tenure, there will be paper painting and paper twining stations so visitors can share in creating colored, twisted paper rope. On the day of the artist talk, the artist will work with the completed twisted paper rope to create a woven sculpture that references the reservoir on campus. The thread of connective labor runs throughout the exhibition and will be embedded in the final woven sculpture

“We are excited to present the work of Amanda Thackray in Entanglements as the exhibition represents the intersection of art, science and community, and it challenges us to rethink our relationship to the environment,” said Elisa Elorza, professor of Art and curator of the exhibition. “The exhibition also highlights the labor of artmaking and the connective labor that results from it, which is especially timely given the current political and social climate.”

Thackray is the recipient of an artist-in-residence at the Museum of Art and Design (MAD) in NYC, the New Jersey State Council on the Arts Individual Artist Fellowship in 2022, and the Arctic Circle in Svalbard, Norway, Artists’ residencies. Her work is in over a dozen public collections, including The Metropolitan Museum of Art Watson Library in NYC; Mediatheque Andre Malraux, France; Yale University and The Library of Congress. Thackray teaches printmaking, artist’s books, and papermaking at SUNY Purchase and Rutgers University. She earned her MFA (Master of Fine Arts) from the Rhode Island School of Design and her BFA (Bachelor of Fine Arts) (Bachelor of Fine Arts) from the Mason Gross School of the Arts at Rutgers University.

The exhibition is free and open to the public. The Center for the Visual Arts Gallery is located at 765 Newman Springs Road, Lincroft, NJ. It is best to park in lot #2 to enter the Gallery. The hours are located on the website. For more information, visit https://www.brookdalecc.edu/ce… or email eelorza@brookdalecc.edu.