Purdue Galleries presenting 'Clearly Confused by Natalie Baxter'

"Soft-headed Snowflake" from "Clearly Confused by Natalie Baxter" The exhibition by Purdue Galleries will show Oct. 3-Nov. 4 at the Fountain Gallery. (Photo provided) Download image

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. – Purdue University Galleries will display sewn sculptures that invite viewers into sociopolitical thought during the exhibition "Clearly Confused by Natalie Baxter" from Oct. 3 to Nov. 4 in Purdue's Fountain Gallery.

Baxter uses her soft sculptures, she says, to create “an accessible entry point to unpack political issues that have become points of division in today’s political and social landscape.” The exhibition will open at 5:30 p.m. Oct. 3 with a reception featuring comments by the artist. The Fountain Gallery is at 330 Main St. in Lafayette.

In her own words, Baxter learned to sew and quilt from her “Appalachian, gun-owning granny.” Her recent work uses craft materials and techniques to create plush guns, bloated flags, and pillows embroidered with social media comments. Interested in concepts of place identity, nostalgia, and gender stereotypes, Baxter shapes soft sculptures take sensitive, challenging, and divisive social and political topics and turns them into humorous, droopy, bloated, and sometimes flamboyant objects.

Baxter's work has been exhibited widely throughout the United States. She has been featured in The New York Times, Jealous Curator, Huffington Post, The Guardian, and Hyperallergic.

Fountain Gallery is open noon to 7 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday except holidays. All Purdue Galleries exhibitions and events are free and open to the public.

For class and group visits, contact Erika Kvam at Purdue Galleries at 765-494-3061. For more information, visit http://www.purdue.edu/galleries or follow @PurdueGalleries on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

Contact: Erika Kvam, 765-494-3061, ekvam@purdue.edu