On view Fri, Feb 7 through Sun, Jun 15, 2025, Carly Slade presents miniature, mixed-media vignettes of real-world structures as they appear in digital images from satellite mapping cameras. Composed of ceramics, building materials, and needlework, the layers of planning and effort within these miniature artworks mirror the human effort and experiences that activate the location in the real world. Slade’s detailed buildings translate the skewed perspectives of digital map-views into smaller versions that require geometric calculations, extensive planning and precise building processes. Her recreation of the digital viewpoint in our physical space increases our curiosity about these humble, time-ravaged buildings, allowing us to imagine their bright beginnings and the variety of conditions that led to their demise. Slade’s skill in bringing to life these ceramic constructions also calls to mind the skill of the tradespeople who contribute to the world we inhabit everyday, and which Slade seeks to appreciate, uplift and sustain.
This exhibition can be found in the Mike & Alyce Parsons Reception.
“I have observed that there is impermanence in our lives spent in the buildings we inhabit and work in, and I am frightened by the precarious nature of the working class,” says Slade.
Slade creates miniature ceramic buildings in forced perspective highlighting the wear and tear of time and economic depressions. Her process utilizes geometric calculations, modified tools and modeling to develop mixed media vignettes.
“This perilous journey on the path to the American Dream is a fallacy. The notion that anyone can move up economically if they simply work hard enough ignores the reality of our current economic system. People begin the journey at different points, with different advantages and disadvantages. Even if you do everything right, you are fighting against the greed of a powerful few … The skewed perspective I place on the buildings is meant to draw the viewer in, to ask questions, and to ponder longer about why they are being shown this space and what it represents.”
ABOUT THE ARTIST
Carly Slade grew up in "Big sky" Alberta, Canada. Her work is influenced by her blue-collar roots and plagued by a concern for the precarious nature of the working class. Using a mix of materials (most often including clay, embroidery, and building supplies), Slade creates dioramas of real places in an unreal perspective. She received her MFA from San Jose State University and her BFA from the Alberta University of the Arts. Slade is currently an Assistant Professor in Ceramics at the Nova Scotia College of Art and Design in Halifax, NS, Canada.
