Shana Moulton: Whispering Pines
10.11.24 – 12.21.24
Shana Moulton, Whispering Pines 4 (still).
Opening Reception: Friday, October 11, 7-10PM
Shana Moulton is a contemporary media artist whose video and installation works have been exhibited internationally over the past two decades, including a recent solo show at the Museum of Modern Art in New York. Through her various series and mediums, Moulton deftly navigates both the promises and disappointments of self-care culture, capturing the complexity of our collective desire to feel better. While gently poking fun at the industry’s excesses, her work unveils a deeper cultural longing—highlighting the pressures of aging, isolation, and the overwhelming demand to feel good all the time. Her work critiques the wellness industry with its attendant woo-woo mysticism, neoliberal insistence on subjective self-care, and snake oil ethical offerings, all while exposing the deeper cultural forces that shape our search for well-being.
In Whispering Pines, her long-running video series, Moulton introduces Cynthia, an upbeat yet spiritually thirsty protagonist who contends with the allure and contradictions of the wellness industry. Since her first appearance in 2002, Cynthia has embodied a relatable, anxious figure—overwhelmed by grocery stores and in need of a good hemorrhoid pillow. Over the years, she has appeared in nearly 30 video works. This retrospective showcases the ten primary Whispering Pines pieces, from its debut in 2002 to the most recent work in 2018, which focuses on physical therapy and Cynthia’s quest for pain relief. Cynthia’s journey is both humorous and poignant, inviting empathy as she mirrors the struggles many of us face in the pursuit of well-being.
Alongside the exhibition, Shana Moulton will lead a public walk-through and Q&A on Saturday, October 12th at noon. She will also collaborate with BICA School to offer a workshop and artist lecture during her time in Buffalo.
About the Artist
Shana Moulton (b. 1976, Oakhurst, CA) is a media artist who explores contemporary anxieties through her filmic alter ego, Cynthia. Combining an unsettling, wry humor with a low-tech, Pop sensibility, Cynthia's interactions with the everyday world are both mundane and surreal, in a domestic sphere just slightly askew. She holds a BA from the University of California Berkeley and an MFA from Carnegie Mellon University; in 2004 she attended the Skowhegan School of Painting and Sculpture. She was awarded a Creative Capital grant in 2013. Her work has been exhibited internationally at the Palais de Tokyo, Paris; Cement Fondu, Sydney; Atlanta Contemporary, Atlanta; and the Museum of Modern Art, New York City.
This exhibition is the first in BICA’s series I WANT TO BELIEVE, a trilogy of exhibitions and related programs addressing crises of faith—locally, globally, and within the art world. The series offers three distinct artistic perspectives on faith, optimism, and the power of belief, tailored for a city of true believers.
This series generously supported by:
