Role Reversal, 2008
With a decidedly feminine slant, Rebekah Bogard imbues her cute doe-eyed bunny creatures and their intimate interactions, with a large dose of sexuality. Pale pink and quite hairless, each coupled pair of ceramic animals is engrossed in their own private piece of relationship history, whether it be whispered somethings or an arched back of orgasmic ecstasy. The manga-like make-believe creatures have just barely enough detail to be considered animals – their shiny pale porcelain skin and pink puckered anuses all serve to make us feel as though we are seeing more than we should. Effective as a unified installation, this show will lure many viewers to venture further abroad to see Bogard’s concurrent show in east LA (Sam Lee, Chinatown).
The body of work in Rebekah Bogard’s concurrent museum show was created previous to her show in Chinatown during her divorce, and the endearing creatures populating the room reflect the sometimes impossibility of connecting with an other. This show also links Bogard’s work from grad school, heavily influenced from the natural world and more static, to her current stylized bucolic installations. Clearly envisioned as an installation, with the walls painted a deep teal to match the palette of the flora and fauna in the room, the scattered pairs and solo animals reveal the artists progressive interest in relationships (Vincent Price Art Museum, East LA).