The Roots That Clutch

We think we tell stories, but stories often tell us, tell us to love or hate, to see or be seen. Often, too often, stories saddle us, ride us, whip us onward, tell us what to do, and we do it without questioning. The task of learning to be free requires learning to hear them, to question them, to pause and hear silence, to name them, and then become a story-teller. (Rebecca Solnit, The Faraway Nearby)

The Roots that Clutch explores the role of the artist as (hi)story-teller. Featuring photography and video work by Lara Chamas, Caroline Garcia, Jess Miley, James Tylor, and Derek Sargent, the exhibition highlights how our values, beliefs, and sense of identity are shaped by the stories we tell. Drawing on history, they explore their own identities and understand the modern world. The works in this exhibition challenge grand narratives, fill in gaps and silences, and reinsert intimacy and nuance into our understanding of both the past and the present. The Roots that Clutch invites the audience to interrogate their own beliefs and makes clear how (hi)stories often tell us.