we’re out of control

garima thakur & Sharita Towne

curated by Yaelle S. Amir

May 8–30, 2021

we’re out of control is an exhibition centered on the ongoing impact and manifestations of colonialism—weaving multiple histories and geographies into cross-cultural solidarity. The installation will utilize the architecture and location of the gallery space, to prompt visitors to reflect on their contribution to and position within colonialist structures of global societies. By looking to parallel diasporic experiences across continents and eras, and close readings and activations of the work of poet and activist Jayne Cortez, this collaboration points to the ways in which these narratives are constant, ingrained and interconnected.

garima thakur is an interdisciplinary artist born and raised in New Delhi. She works with histories, narratives and multitudinous realities of assimilation, alienation, and collectivism. She is currently stationed in Portland, OR, and works as an assistant professor of interaction media and graphic design at Western Oregon University.

Sharita Towne is a multidisciplinary artist and educator based in Portland, OR. Born and raised on the West Coast of the U.S. along Interstate 5 from Salem, OR, to Tacoma, WA and down to Sacramento, CA, Sharita is a true granddaughter of the great migration. She is most interested in engaging local and global Black geographies, histories, and possibilities. In her work, a shared art penetrates and binds people–artists, audience, organizers, civic structures, sisters, cousins, and landscape–in collective catharsis, grief, and joy. Sharita holds a BA from UC Berkeley, an MFA from Portland State University, and was recently appointed Program Head of the Pacific Northwest College of Art’s MFA in Visual Studies. Sharita’s work has received support from organizations like Creative Capital, the Fulbright Association, Art Matters, The Ford Family Foundation, Oregon Community Foundation, Oregon Arts Commission, The Miller Foundation, the Regional Arts and Culture Council, the Andy Warhol Foundation for the Visual Arts, Open Signal, SPACES in Cleveland, and the Independent Publishing Resource Center in Portland. She is a 2020 MRG Lilla Jewel Award recipient.

This exhibition and dialogue are organized as part of Dismantling the House, a series of public programs and exhibitions curated by Yaelle S. Amir, CFAR’s 2020-21 Curator-in-Residence. Programs are made possible by the Ford Family Foundation. Additional support for this exhibition was generously provided by the Caldera Arts Residency program, Oregon Arts Commission and The Ford Family Foundation, and produced in partnership with Well Well Projects.

https://centerforartresearch.uoregon.edu/garima-thakur-sharita-towne-were-out-of-control/