NADA New York 2022

Anchored squarely in the tradition of painting, these intimately-scaled wall-hanging works by Kevin McNamee-Tweed are composed of home-mixed clay bodies and glazes, including materials dug up near McNamee-Tweed’s home in North Carolina, a locale known for its rich tradition of clay. Themes in this recent work include the natural world, everyday objects, the margins of civilization, and the tradition of image and object making. Some of the stoneware slabs from this set of work depict ceramic vases with scenes rendered upon them, referencing the three-dimensionality most commonly associated with the medium. With an interest in the mechanics of meaning-making and storytelling, this works offers glimpses into the lives of subjects from the human to animals and objects. The vignettes often deliver moments of tender drama with pathos and humor, revealing incomplete details about a narrative arc while focusing on an instance of existential disquiet, incidental poignancy, or confounding delight.