Cody Gallery at Marymount University
1000 N Glebe Road
Second Floor
Arlington, VA 22201

Cody Gallery is pleased to present HALF-LIGHT, a solo exhibition by Langdon Graves. This show marks her first major exhibition in the DC Metro area which opens March 22, and will remain on view through May 3. Langdon will discuss her work in conversation with curator and Marymount faculty, Sal Pirrone, Thursday, March 27 at 5pm, followed by an opening reception from 6-8pm.

Moving seamlessly between two and three dimensions, Graves builds an immersive experience with her exhibition, HALF-LIGHT. Hand modeled drops of blood, rubber bands, a bird house, moths, and a single wisdom tooth set against a backdrop of hyper-saturated color present the viewer with an array of paradoxical moments within a timeless landscape.

Graves invokes a soft fascination in her work, loosely defined as, ‘a state of gentle engagement and curiosity that allows for reflection and restoration’. She writes, ‘it’s often associated with time spent reconnecting with nature and has become an unintentional step in my creative process.” Paying more notice to what grows in her back yard and to the birds nesting on her fire escape, Graves uses what she observes within their nature as an entry point to better understanding her own.

Themes of time, self-identity, and societal expectations of women are evident. In Keep Away From Children, Graves presents a kitchen drawer with carefully hand-crafted items that span three generations from her Grandmother, to her mother and herself. The contents include house ants, a classic ballpoint pen, and the last match in a matchbook that elongates and slinks towards the floor to evade its fate. With these objects and the drawer, itself, Graves reflects on family lineage, the things we keep by choice or by burden, and the expectations that accompany them.

Cody Gallery is a contemporary art space created as a platform to support the arts and strengthen the arts community at Marymount University and the greater Washington DC area. The gallery is operated by the School of Design + Art at Marymount.