Black sheep and skeletons in the closet . . .
even the plant world has its share of family secrets, eccentrics and deviants.  

Consider the family Solanaceae, commonly referred to as either the nightshade or potato family: members of this unwieldy clan run the gamut from the meek to the murderous.

The final line drawings of five pairings of Solanaceae are ready to be transferred to linoleum blocks – the newest in the As Potent as a Charm series. In each combination the virtuous shares space with the disreputable.

Look for mandrake (Mandragora officinarum) and the potato (Solanum tuberosa), deadly nightshade (Atropa belladonna) and Petunia, henbane (Hyoscyamus niger) and eggplant (Solanum melongena), bittersweet (Solanum dulcamara) and tomato (Solanum lycopersicum), along with tobacco (Nicotiana) and chili pepper (Capsicum). With about 2,690 additional species, the history of the Solanaceae family’s interaction with humans is one of dramatic trial and error, malevolence and goodwill. 

The Solanaceae relief prints will be included in a solo exhibit late this year:

As Potent as a Charm
December 4 – 31, 2015
the BOX gallery
140 East Market Street
Akron, Ohio 44308