Be Realistic Demand The Impossible by Carrie Marill

Soggy mid-February greetings collectors! The snow is falling once again in our fair city, then churning and melting into grey mush along the streets and sidewalks. It's nothing short of dismal out-of-doors. Warm and dry we are in 20x200 HQ, pleased to have an arsenal of great art to introduce you to this week.

First off is today's charming and sharp edition from long-time 20x200 artist, Carrie Marill: Be Realistic Demand the Impossible.

Carrie's been with 20x200 from the very beginning — and since I found her work on the internets (where else!?) it's been a lovely affair, dappled with editions, exhibitions and a rendevous on ice. Over the years, Carrie's never ceased to amaze with her sophisticated sensibilities and astute skills as she's flighted over an impressive range of subjects, all united by a consistent style and an ever-deepening interest in our relationship with the environment. These affections are not simply a product of Carrie's art practice but also of her life and the interconnectedness of the two.

Walking the talk, and certainly not ones to fall trap to a trend, Carrie and her husband run a CSA on his father's farm. Their engagement with the environment is enduring and inspiring. Carrie's work is literally rooted in not just what she thinks, but what she knows, firsthand.

Visual Aides includes Be Realistic and will be on view at the JBG later this spring — Ms. Marill's second solo show on Spring Street. The series comprises several re-worked images taken from 1950s posters designed to teach kids about farming and industry. Look closely and you'll see there's something slightly awry in Carrie's adaptations of these utopic idylls. Along with the windmills, solar panels and prayer flags, she's inserted her wry sense of humor in this back-to-the-earth look at the future-perfect-present. Mid-century, post-war optimism brightens the corners of Carrie's critical look at then — before "sustainability" was a buzz word — and now.

It's not surprising that Carrie's editions are oft cause for some of the longest newslettering endeavors. I've waxed on and on and on about her paintings. Her latest series, Visual Aides is no exception but lunch meetings and office obligations are keeping me from lingering too long today. Thankfully, I just may have more than one note in your inbox to get out everything there is to say about this work. (Yes, that's a hint!)