By BRIAN SLATTERY | New Haven Independent
The paintings are as entertaining as they are provocative. It’s not just in the mixed materials that give each of the canvases three-dimensional elements, and bring the clothing to dazzling life, nor is it just in the knowing glances on the subjects’ faces. The titles of the paintings — Ascension to the Throne — Wassup and Coronation Day — Sequel to the Queen — give a clear sense of the inspiration behind the paintings. The old order, the paintings say, is coming to an end. A new aristocracy is coming; one that’s younger, Blacker, and, well, maybe more fun, too.
The sense of hope in the two paintings by The Queen’s Artillery is palpable throughout “Full House,” the latest exhibition at the Ely Center of Contemporary Art, running now through Nov. 6. It features works from eight arts collectives — the New Haven-based Connectic*nt magazine, FEED, SomethingProjects, Wábi, and Yale Fabric Lab, as well as the new Port Chester, N.Y.-based arts collective Ice Cream Social, Norwalk Art Space, and the Brooklyn-based sk.ArtSpace — and in its wild artistic diversity, it shows the positive energy that can be created when artists work in community.