Ever so slowly, more of the West Coasts reigning art stars are slinking over to the bright yet aggressive East Coast city of New York. One such Queen of doom and gloom, the multi-talented Liz McGrath, has opened a new show of her creepy creatures in her first NYC solo exhibit, 'Shadowless Summer' at Sloan Fine Art. The new work features many of her trademarks that have made her work so compelling; including the dioramas within the bodies of animals dressed in gothic Victorian finery and a delicately balanced dark and pastel color palette. The nostalgic animals of our youth are dissected and carry the melancholy weight of mourning, our current crisis of fear and personal emotions manifested through their exposed anatomies.

At once the dimensional figures appear cute and draw the viewer in. Upon closer inspection, the figures reveal a more subversive side, yet always wielded with a feminine touch. Made mostly of clay, the sculptures range in size, from the largest being the magnificent two pieced 'Boxer'; a sawed in half show pony that could have come off a vintage carousel. Nestled in one half is a weathered, pink gothic house sitting in a frothy lagoon complete with miniature alligators. Within the other exposed side a sparkling lighthouse stands watch. Beneath the horse's golden hooves, a slick black snake is also cut in half, revealing pink innards. The body of the horse is decorated in decorative text and its solemn face reveals a single tear beneath its feathered headdress.

Three blackened busts with tattered ship sails tangled in the horns, ears and tusks of the respective animals. The glossy, tar like finish and sad, realistic eyes of the animals reveal a direct commentary on the state of our environmental crisis while two baby vultures adorned in feathered top hats reveal an even darker suggestion of our nature. Twin Faberge egg style blue bunnies further these themes, as they each carry a single, enlarged human tooth within their bellies while each of their eyes are marred with disfigurement. Tattooed, two headed weasels compete for attention beneath the bust of a ferocious, similarly colored cougar. The pastel and golden tones of their bodies reveal a collection of delicate Russian and old school style tattoos painted by McGrath's husband Morgan Slade. The duality of these pieces is reflected in the suggested split consciousness of the two- headed creatures as well as the combined efforts of the artistic couple are executed in perfect harmony and add a more personal element to the work.

Two large watercolors show another stylistic element McGrath works with and contain a world of hybrid creatures co-existing with one another. The highly detailed creatures show off the painting skills of the self- taught artist and remain thematically harmonious with the rest of the body of work. While each piece is aesthetically pleasing, the tiny universes of each animal translate the distinct language of McGrath in a successful and stunning show.

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Elizabeth McGrath: Shadowless Summer
Sloan Fine Art
128 Rivington Street, New York, New York 212-477-1140
www.sloanfineart.com {moscomment}