Tenderly Embracing the New Exhibit at the Cooley Gallery

This past Friday marked the reopening of the Cooley Memorial Art Gallery and the unveiling of its newest exhibit to the public. The exhibit in question, titled Tender, is the newest collaboration between artists Sarah Gilbert and Pato Hebert, both former professors at Reed. The pair recited how their time at Reed led to them meeting and subsequently collaborating on various art projects over the years. Their formative time at Reed also began both of their relationships with the curator of the Cooley Gallery, Stephanie Snyder ‘91. It is both fitting and fortunate that Reed served as the path for which these creative collaborators crossed over a decade ago, presently leading to their reunion with Tender.

In speaking with the artists, both Gilbert and Hebert revealed insights relating to their collaborative processes with each other, as well as their partnership with Snyder and the ensuing artistic freedoms that come with exhibiting at the Cooley Gallery. “She's a brilliant badass, so fierce, so resilient, so curious, so talented,” remarked Hebert onGilbert. Similarly, regarding Hebert, Gilbert said that it is the “incredible, collaborative, open, generous spirit to his work” that excites her so much. Their mutual understanding of not only each other’s artistic abilities but also their uniting character traits resulted in their creative kinship exemplified in the Tender exhibit.

Fortunately for the students and staff of Reed, the newest project of Gilbert and Hebert found its way to the Cooley Gallery, thanks to curator Stephanie Snyder. Hebert specifically singled out Snyder as one of the predominant factors in producing and showcasing the exhibit. He referred to “Stephanie's generosity, to trust these kinds of processes between the three of us, between the work” as well as the fact that she “very generously stepped into an imagined unknown.” Although this is Snyder’s last year as the curator of the Cooley Gallery, her ongoing impact cannot be overstated. The Cooley Gallery’s growth and flourishment over her tenure is remarkable. Without her support and willingness for artistic experimentation, we wouldn’t be able to see the projects of artists like Sarah Gilbert and Pato Hebert on the Reed campus.

Upon entering the Cooley Gallery, the exhibit may initially seem a bit overwhelming due to its integration of visual, sound, language, and interactive elements. The walls are scattered with words carved out of wood, the floor grows with trees fused with copper wire, and the soundscape is filled with a haunting tape loop practically carried from the ceiling to a piano that plays itself. Then, of course, you have the interactive quality of the exhibit wherein you can touch the wire and glass bulbs on the branches which then proceeds to alter the sound originating from the piano. However, the fusion of these seemingly disparate elements proves that they are actually not disparate at all. In response to this very idea, Hebert brought up the frequently thought of question, “What can contemporary art be?” He then answered the question by stating that contemporary art “can be about so many things and can be made with and of so many materials, it can have so many different sensibilities.” Likewise, Gilbert mentioned that the constituent elements of the exhibit are not supposed to be thought of separately. Rather, she wanted it to feel “slippery and integrated,” as if the elements brought forth by either Hebert or herself should not be viewed in isolation and should be viewed in totality with the project as a whole. Gilbert emphasized that “if you sort of squint your eyes, everything has these really interesting relationships.”

Gilbert and Hebert revealed their seminal inspirations and ideas for Tender to the Quest. For both artists, the past several years had brought upon rather difficult times, and through this new project, they sought for shared healing. In Gilbert’s case, she particularly mentioned the long recovery after being hit by an automobile in 2018. The process of healing was both physical and emotional. During the long recovery, Gilbert noted her difficulties with resuming artistic practice, particularly because her work is very craft and material intensive. This resulted in her thinking “my body just wasn't up to it anymore.” When referencing the beginning work on Tender, Gilbert said, “I needed that kind of warmth. I needed that feeling of support, and I wanted to figure out a practice that wasn't so isolating.” For Hebert, one of his primary focuses in the making of Tender is his ongoing day-to-day living with Long COVID. Speaking on this, he explained, “I feel like I swallowed the ember, the COVID ember, and it was like an ember that then, literally, inflamed the system.” Within the exhibit, Hebert has exemplified how the effects of Long COVID have altered his daily life. This is particularly evident with the words covering the walls, signifying Hebert’s declining ability to hear through his representation of what he heard versus what actually was said. He described how his difficulty with hearing is one of many symptoms he has dealt with. While these symptoms may never go away, Hebert’s artistic expression may be a way to come to terms with the life-altering effects that come with the condition.

The title of the exhibit, Tender, is full of meaning. Both artists spoke about how the idea of tenderness reflected not only how they created the project, but also how they hope others may interact with it. In the description of the exhibit, there is a quote from political philosopher Hannah Arendt in which she describes her philosophical thought as “… a palpating tenderness toward the things of the world.” Her sentiment suggests how one might think about approaching the exhibit. For students, art like that of Gilbert and Hebert may seem difficult to comprehend. Yet, this search for understanding may not be the ideal way to approach a project like Tender: the power of this exhibit is likely to be found closer to your heart than your mind. Let yourself feel the physical textures, loosely ponder the language, and be transported by the sound and atmosphere. In response to how Reed students may approach the art, Hebert voiced, “I really hope students from our show will trust themselves to be their full selves, which may seem like kind of an odd thing to say about an exhibition, but that a lot is possible, and I think this place, at its best, can cultivate that.”

Sarah Gilbert and Pato Hebert’s Tender can be found in the Cooley Gallery, located near the entrance of the library. The exhibit is open until December 8 and is welcome to all visitors. You can stop by for a couple minutes or a couple hours, for ten minutes one day and an hour the next, whatever may suit you best. Remember, when you step into the Cooley Gallery, it is only you, the art, and what you make of it.