Apophenia is the human tendency to find patterns in abstraction. This is a symptom of human creativity that allows people to see faces on walls and shapes of animals in the clouds. Starting on June 21, two artists, Orli Swergold and Gabbi Grill came together to ponder Apophanies in a duo exhibition at the Stephen Street Gallery, NYC. Both Grill and Swergold work with abstract forms in paintings and sculptures. However, Swergold’s work focuses on the hybridity and fluidity of the natural world, while Grill’s oeuvre reflects intense labour to understand her environment.
Putting the two artists together in an exhibition makes Apophanies a reflection on the concept of ‘labour’ that exists within human society and animal social groups in the natural world. Every species on this planet, from the minuscule world of insects to the flight of birds, and the romping of bears alike, understands the importance of labour. As part of their survival instincts, animals will labour tirelessly to gather food, defend their homes, raise their young, and find mates. However, for humankind, the introduction of capitalism has complicated labour, making it about more than just survival but also a means of fulfilling one’s ego and greed.
In today’s world, where capitalist human greed has corrupted the environment to the point of mass species extinction; Apophanies by Gabbi Grill and Orli Swergold reminds their viewers of the definition of labour that is aligned with the natural world. It calls for the alignment of people’s everyday labour with both Mother Nature’s and their place within their communities. This is why Apophanies by Gabbi Grill and Orli Swergold is aligned with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals of Decent Work And Economic Growth and Climate Action.
In a planetary ecosystem, the labour of any one species has the potential to serve a greater good. Swergold reflects on this in her piece Ecstatic Butterfly where she has used her signature stalagmite-like sculptures to depict the outlines of a butterfly. Afterall, butterflies are insects whose intense labour for food (nectar) also helps to pollinate almost 80 percent of the world’s flora. This is a butterfly’s place in the ecosystem; a pivotal and positive role within a larger cycle. Apophanies urges its viewers to reflect on this notion, urging human beings to also strive for a similar state in today’s times of climate emergency.
Meanwhile, Grill’s pieces reflect on the intensity of labour. Both humans and animals alike work hard, day-in-and-day-out to fulfil their life’s necessities. Grill’s pieces see the poetry in this concurrence. Pieces like Sully, that has been made by painstakingly placing dots of paint, reflects on the labour of Tailor birds when they meticulously stitch together their nests, or of the labour of the Pufferfish when making ornate ocean floor patterns as part of their mating rituals.
Pieces by Grill and Swergold elevate the idea of labour as a cross-species connection. They see Apophanies between nature and humanity at a crucial time, standing tall as symbolic reminders of the connection between humankind and natural ecosystems through hard work for a higher cause.
Find out more about Apophanies, check Orli Swergold’s Instagram @orli_s_art, Gabbi Grill’s @gabbigrill, and the Stephen Street Gallery @strephenstreetgallery.