An anatomy of melancholy -
a statement
The wood becomes viscera and flesh, a self-portrait. Wood has no gender and is a material metaphor for queer identity. Much of the wood A.M. uses are sections that have been damaged when the tree was alive and then began to heal. Others are the roots of the tree- the base support, and the main mode of sustenance. A.M. paints the wood to reference flesh and viscera. The work exists in a liminal space between healing and freshly wounded. Neurodivergent, Mentally ill, and gender non-conforming people are pressed to function in a system that causes them harm by pressuring them to conform to 'normalcy'. They are in a perpetual state of tending to psychic wounds that remain in flux and are never allowed to heal or exist as they are.
A.M. uses domestic objects in addition to wood to create a narrative that responds to various facets of these oppressed identities. Color acts as the initial draw and separates it from gore. A.M.'s color palette is bubblegum grotesque, they are looking for a place between cartoonish, exaggerated color, and realism. The objects paired with the wood must have elements of complementary or vibrant color, aesthetic beauty, or absurdity in addition to concept, this is vital in order to break down the weight of the concept at hand, and allow for approach. There are elements of absurdity, beauty, and color to the experience of queerness, mental Illness, and neurodivergence.
The vulnerability of the subject matter, paired with the bold color and playfulness of the work, exudes power and defiance over the oppressive social environment and mental illness as the objects are formed. A.M. is exploring places where beauty and the grotesque intersect, this exploration becomes the documentation of their illness; it is the anatomy of their melancholy
CV:
Education
2015
BFA, Sculpture and Studio for Interrelated Media
Massachusetts College of Art and Design
Solo Exhibitions
2014
Body of Work
Godine Family Gallery, Massachusetts College of Art and Design
Boston MA
Group Exhibitions
2021
some assembly required
The Distillery Gallery
Boston MA
2021
BIG MOOD
Virtual Exhibition
Stay Home Gallery
2021
May/be/Mad
Virtual Exhibition
Folk Lab.net
2016
Quicksand
The New Art Center
Newton MA
2015
In Grain: Contemporary Work in Wood
The Fleming Museum Of Art
Burlington VT
2015
Sculpture BFA Thesis Show
Bakalar & Paine Galleries, Massachusetts College of Art and Design
Boston MA
2015
All School Show Awards Show
Frances Euphemia Thompson Gallery Massachusetts College of Art and Design
Boston MA
2015
All School Show: Sculpture
Student Life Gallery, Massachusetts College of Art and Design
Boston MA
2014
All School Show: Studio For Interrelated Media
Godine Family Gallery, Massachusetts College of Art and Design
Boston MA
Awards/Recognition
2015
First Place: Helen Blair Crosbie Sculpture Award
2015
Best in Show, MassArt All School Show, Sculpture Category
2015
Best in Show, MassArt All School Show, Studio for Interrelated Media Category
Residencies
October 2021
Dear Artists With Anxiety (DAWA) Virtual Art Residency
Press
2021
‘Some Assembly Required’: well worth assembling
Boston Globe
https://www.bostonglobe.com/2021/06/17/arts/some-assembly-required-well-worth-assembling/
2021
Bubblegum Grotesque: Interview with Big Mood Artist A.M. Disher
Powerclashart.com
https://powerclashart.com/bubblegum-grotesque-interview-with-big-mood-artist-a-m-disher/