Minneapolis artist Emma Beatrez showcases compelling paintings that delve into cheerleading and small-town pep rally bonfires. Her work reflects a dark energy and transforms ordinary rituals into significant commentary on community dynamics. Notably featured in the "Polyester" exhibition at Hair + Nails, her art captures the thrill and danger of collective experiences, portraying cheerleaders as both performers and risk-takers. As a graduate of the Minneapolis College of Art and Design, Beatrez also co-founded the Night Club gallery, indicating her active engagement in the local art scene.
Clad in polyester vestments, extremely flammable, Beatrez's priestesses speed through their sportive katas in ecstatic trance, a choreography of escalating risk, summoning danger, the adrenaline surging, melding individuals into group.
Their eyes glinting in the camera flash or the fire, and a fairly ordinary secular tradition transmogrifies into an otherworldly ritual emblematic of America's conflicted priorities.
Collection
[
|
...
]