Ritual Of Sphinx and Lamassu

September 17–October 29. 2016
MaRS (Museum as Retail Space)
Los Angeles, CA

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Excerpt of exhibition text by Catherine Wagley:

In the two months leading up to Rituals of Sphinx and Lamassu, the first show either artist has had at MaRS gallery and their first show together, the two shared studio space. Stonaker’s works in-progress were suspended amidst Linn’s sculptures, which sat on the concrete floor or on tables. Seeing their work in tandem was a good reminder that formal and tactile similarities are not always the best markers of affinity. In this case, their differences seemed to amplify their compatibility, which has more to do with what they’re searching for through the work than which materials they use.

Stonaker and Linn both speak of “going to the root of things,” interests in the Neolithic, deconstruction, Pataphyics and pre-lingual states all informing their work. In discussing feminism, they reference excavation and deconstruction, finding a kind of strength that doesn’t stem from competition and capital accumulation. Their objects—vessels both inviting and dangerous to the touch, or tapestries with sensual dimensions that tell intuitive stories—serve almost as tools, made to make aware living more possible. “We think of these as objects of ritual,” Linn said, of what she and Stonaker make.