Darker Side of Pink to Debut in Sacramento

Back Event Dec 10, 2016 @ 12 pm

Sacramento Artist Maren Conrad reflects on Barbie’s notorious reputation through a feminist lens in latest exhibit.

Concept: It’s possible that no other woman has been as influential as one nurse/astronaut/veterinarian who could afford the dream life and live it with her androgynous boyfriend.

Since Barbie’s creation in 1959, over a billion units have been sold. As such, Barbie has arguably touched more lives than nearly any actually living icon. As a doll with an overtly adult form and removable clothes given to children, she has been a source of both discovery and shame for generations of both women and men worldwide.

The Darker Side of Pink is a visual mission by Sacramento-based artist Maren Conrad to explore Barbie as a multifaceted tool for transitioning from childhood to adolescence. In recreating innocuous scenes of Barbie play that reflect her ten-year-old self’s naïve understanding of sex and the adult world, Conrad shines a light on the concepts of innocence, sexuality, the exposing of private shame, and the feminine self.

Celebrated art consultant, collector and art activist Pamela Skinner curates The Darker Side of Pink. She has strived to ensure this collection thoroughly, though playfully, dissects the subject while supporting the artists’ mission to scrutinize the dichotomous relationships society has with Barbie.

The Darker Side of Pink also features a group invitational show with 14 renowned artists whose works encompass a wide range of mediums. These artists heralding from three continents have been featured on both national and international stages with resounding acclaim. 

About Maren Conrad, Artist

In the past few years Maren Conrad has quickly becomes one of the most sought after visual artists in Northern California. Her work, often averring the shared and individual feminine experience, has been met with both acclaim and controversy. Communicating through a medium of poured resin, assiduous stippling and pointillism, and the application of metal-leaf, her work embodies physical space in a two-dimensional plane.

VIP PREVIEW:

Thursday, Dec. 8, 5:30 p.m. – 9 p.m.

Other showings

Friday, Dec. 9, 4:00 p.m.- 7:00 p.m. Saturday Dec. 10, Noon – 9:00 p.m Sunday, December 11, By Appointment Only

Operating primarily in her private Sacramento studio, Conrad’s largely commission-based work can be found in commercial and residential spaces throughout California. Recently, Conrad was chosen as one of the state’s most respected artists, and her piece “Lady Like” was selected as part of the California State Senate 2015-16 Fine Art Collection. Numerous California institutions such as the Crocker Museum and San Diego Museum have sought to display her art, and examples of her craft can be found hanging in collections as far as Washington D.C. and Tel Aviv.

Conrad’s work has been a favorite of the press having been featured in Forbes, USA Today, The Associated Press, UK Yahoo Homepage, The San Francisco Chronicle, The Sacramento Bee and numerous other internet and print medias. She was also the first featured artist in Golf and Lifestyle Magazine. 

Find more at marenconrad.com

Please note the Dec. 11 showing is by appointment only