Friday, December 9, 6-9pm, The Vanderelli Room, 218 McDowell St.

Dana Lynn Harper presents a new body of work examining the collective power behind untamed color and pattern as an act of rebellion. With loud and boisterous colors, voluminous textures, and patterns laid atop patterns, Harper’s work stands in direct opposition to current trends in interior design, namely minimalism. Instead, Harper uses neons, stripes, polka dots, and other clashing patterns and leans into a maximalist approach, challenging the western and patriarchal societal idea of being “too much.” The defiant act of excess in conjunction with feminine processes and materials is a rebellious act against our culturally accepted definitions of design and art itself. Using materials inherently linked to craft, the artist asks the viewer to question the importance of material, process, and color.

Mining her own childhood and led by material exploration, “A Little Too Much” becomes a celebration of girlhood — adorned with jewels, fringe, and loud patterns. Harper is inspired by childhood collections and the preciousness and importance of small objects, demonstrated by the careful collecting, categorization, and displaying of items. Texture, color, and pattern are borrowed from fashion, television shows, and toys from the ’90s. Works are created in a series or collection, each painting or sculpture celebrated as an individual and also connected to the larger collective body of work. Harper questions the limits of palatable tastes and the consequence of materials and invites the viewer to step out of acceptable definitions of fine art that we’ve been taught to believe.

Hosted by The Vanderelli Room and Dana Lynn Harper.