Oona Brangam-Snell | Snowclones

About

Mrs. is proud to present Oona Brangam-Snell’s 'Snowclones,' a suite of large woven scrolls and stretched tapestries which mark the artist’s first solo exhibition with the gallery.  

"A snowclone is a customizable formulaic phrase that consists of a framework that can be adapted for different situations by changing some of the words. It’s typically expressed in terms of the invariable part of the phrase with blanks represented by X, Y, and Z, for example, 'X is the new Y.'"

-Dictionary.com

Brangam-Snell’s work seeks to highlight the enduring power of traditional symbols and their role in contemporary iconography, in an era where fabric design has been defined by digitization and industrial manufacturing.  Heavily influenced by centuries of textile production, from medieval tapestries to grand theater curtains, she drafts her works as paintings before transforming them into machine-loomed and hand-embroidered tapestries.  

This exhibition centers on a triptych of almost-life-sized figures — respectively titled 'Garden panty venus,' 'A protest against vulgar comments,' and 'I need to read your energy first' — expanding from there into scenes on a smaller scale.  Pictured mid-action, Brangam-Snell’s characters resemble tarot card icons poised to break from their poses; while interior and exterior tableaus with foreshortened perspectives evoke a panoramic stage set. Brangam-Snell wove these works intending them to complement one another; referencing traditional European tapestries, which were often ordered “by the room,” instead of by the panel. While the scenes employ historical symbols, their solemnity is belied by comic details: a giant mouse, leashed birds, and a bearded baby.

The central triptych is flanked by two woven works — 'I see the lights of the village' and 'Day 71' — both of which use first-person perspective.  As suggested by the show’s title, Brangam-Snell is interested in the way that certain visual tropes or “memes” are continually reused for centuries, even after their original meaning is lost. These tapestries lure their audience with elements that feel at once familiar and strange, leaving space for the viewer to “Mad Lib” their own version of events, much the same way that a snowclone changes the principal words in a phrase while leaving the structure the same.

As the exhibit extends through the main gallery, it pans outward onto a series of floating nature scenes. Brangam-Snell alternates between botanical illustrations ('Gutsy weeds') and epic landscapes ('There’s no such thing as a fisherwoman').  Using the strict linework of handwoven tapestries as her inspiration, she dissects plants and flowers into distinct areas of flat color, defining each leaf and stem. The resulting vistas collectively form something akin to a backdrop: adding space, stillness, and a naïve simplicity that counterbalances the dense symbolism of the other works.

Oona Brangam-Snell (b. 1989, New York, NY) is graduate of the Rhode Island School of Design, Providence, RI and works as a senior designer for the textile firm Maharam.  Recent exhibitions include Nina Johnson, Miami, FL; Future Fair Online; Mrs., Maspeth and Friedman Benda, New York, NY. Her work has also been featured in Elephant Magazine, Artviewer, Artspace, T Magazine and Architectural Digest Design.