Snow Gallery is pleased to present Soul Controller, opening on June 20th— the summer
solstice— which reminds us to rejoice in the nourishing light of the sun and the light within
each of us.

“Soul Controller” is a 1996 song by Ghostface Killah as well as a term that originated in the
80s— slang for someone who pimps or deals drugs.

Our last exhibition, Shadow’s Mirror, opened the week of Easter and centered on themes of
death and rebirth. As with many of our shows, sometimes life imitates art. Relationships,
beliefs and old patterns die and others are reborn. This process, equal parts delicious and
dreadful, can feel like an exorcism. Sometimes the shadow doesn’t like what it sees in the
mirror and it revolts. But as Jung theorized, when the shadow is integrated we become whole
and the soul returns to the body. Sometimes we have to break ties in order to reclaim our
selves. May 12th brought us a full moon in Scorpio and the opportunity to release past
burdens. Upon awakening from a fever dream, and with recent events as inspiration, this
exhibition focuses on abuse and survival of abuse. Abuse can come in many forms, from
emotional abuse, physical abuse, spiritual abuse, financial abuse, medical abuse, coercive
control, gaslighting, shame and humiliation.

Abuse of technology is ubiquitous in recent news, whether it’s AI deepfakes or machine
learning that exploits consumers via algorithms all in the name of increased revenue. Robots
are taking over human jobs and bots are employed as trolls in smear campaigns, even
influencing politics. A growing movement of young people have abandoned smart phones in
favor of flip phones to protect their privacy amid distrust of the government and tech industry.

The Uncanny Valley phenomenon proposes that the eeriness of encountering humanoid
entities— the replicants in Blade Runner being a prime example— arouses feelings of unease
in a different way than experiencing say Duane Hanson’s startlingly lifelike human sculptures.
The theory of the Sublime links the feeling of wonder and inadequacy in the face of that
which is powerful, terrifying and awe inspiring with the pleasurable experience of observing
beauty and coming to terms with that which is beyond our control. Friedrich Schiller claimed
in “On the Sublime” (1801) that while the beautiful is valuable only with reference to the
human being, the Sublime is the way the “daemon” within man reveals itself. Einstein said
long ago that our technology had surpassed our humanity. When humans lose their humanity
— often when they are seizing or grasping for a sense of power or control— they become abusive and destructive towards those around them. Cue the video of raccoons destroying a
Tesla truck because it looked like a dumpster.

Some common trends among emerging painters are the use of airbrushing, fragmentation and inspiration from anime. Distortion of reality in painting is everywhere right now. This is also known as Surrealism and yes, that gum you like is totally coming back in style. When taken as metaphors, these techniques or styles draw many parallels to tools for surviving trauma from abuse. Airbrushing is a literal blurring of the lines, anime a form of fantasy, escape and a regression to childhood— to innocence before it was destroyed. Surrealism in art is a way of exorcising the trauma caused by the experience of abuse. It’s a way of twisting and distorting that which IS human, bringing back a sense of agency and self autonomy through the exploration of fantasy and world-building, and reminds us that although we are all having the same experience— the human experience— that we all see things differently. It also reminds us—as with Francis Bacon’s distorted depiction of the human form— that there is beauty in imperfection, and again we remember to appreciate the absurdity of life and the
importance of embracing the shadow rather than running from it.

Abuse in the form of gaslighting and manipulation comes not only from partners (whether they be intimate, creative or work partners) but from rulers of nations. That’s if we even have access to internet and are not living in a cultural blackout, cut off by dictators who are themselves beholden to the tech magnates, arms dealers and cartels that funded their campaigns. The way immigrants are being treated in this country must be addressed. We cannot allow history to repeat itself and one way to bring awareness is through representation.

This exhibition features artists who are either first or second generation immigrants to the US
from Venezuela, Iran, and what was Yugoslavia as well as artists from France and Peru.
Christian cults, new age “wellness” cults, the Rajneesh movement, even certain factions of
Hare Krishnas— see Monkey on a Stick— and many more have all been exposed for their
corruption and abuse. Abusive partners like Sean Combs and Dominique Pelicot and abusive
parents like the Turpins and Ruby Franke/Jodi Hidebrandt have dominated the media. These
stories have also served as inspiration, as each of these abusers were brought to light by the
brave survivors who managed to escape. In days as dark as these, we need stories like this.
Often it’s one person who survives, then shines a light on the abuser, allowing others to come
forward and heal.

Each of the artists in this show have created work that has touched on these themes in some
way. More importantly, the work is good. It’s original, it’s provocative and it does what art is
supposed to do— it evokes an emotion. The subject matter may be dark but there are moments of levity and even humor. Coincidentally, Ghostface— arguably rap’s greatest Surrealist— is reportedly dropping a new album the day before the opening: the long awaited sequel to his classic, “Supreme Clientele.”

zeljko mcmullen has created a soundtrack that will play continuously throughout the
exhibition, which will run through July 27th.