"Big Wig (or is it Big WHIG?)" Painting

Corrie Slawson’s work engages with a matrix of social, political, and cultural concerns that are often difficult to resolve. Centering on such issues as justice and human rights, land-use, climate change, environmental degradation, and the current-day impacts of European Colonialism, Corrie approaches the notions of place, home, and community as if they were constructed, physical bodies—sometimes inflamed and falling apart, other times resilient and growing.

Born, raised, and currently living in Cleveland Heights, Ohio, Corrie’s work consists primarily of painting, printmaking, drawing, and collaged elements that coalesce into detailed, panoramic landscapes or extreme close-up shots of swirling, amalgamated forms. Sometimes naturalistic, other times channeling a baroque surrealism, Corrie’s imagery evolved from a photo-journalistic practice rooted in the visuals of her daily commute towards a broader concern with global inequities that often stem from Colonization and unbalanced wealth accumulation. Continually sourcing recognizable elements—from national and international architectural landmarks and historical icons to the local gas station on the corner—Corrie’s deepest concerns as an artist and as an individual focus on those most vulnerable: endangered species, for example, those who dwell near abandoned lots, or populations most affected yet least responsible for devastating climate changes.