Out of Body

Contracommon is proud to present Out of Body, an exhibition showcasing abstracted, cerebral, and fantastical representations of the human figure.

Contracommon is an artist-run, artist-led nonprofit arts space that supports artists in a collaborative setting. The organization has hosted regular member-run figure drawing sessions since 2022, serving 163 participants and counting. This exhibition is inspired by the collective’s first exhibition focused on figuration, Bodies Akin, organized by  studio members Darryl Demps Jr., Holly Cerna, and Molly Knobloch in 2024. 

Out of Body features alternative takes on representing the human body, featuring 13 emerging artists from Central Texas. The works interrogate themes of transformation and introspection, exploring what it means to be in a body. “Bodies are an absurd assemblage of entrance and exit channels… Portals that comprise these bodies – anuses, urethras, mouths, etc. – are constantly being clogged up, filled up, and choked up, reveling in various states of disintegration and reassemblage; a constant cycle of transformation,” - Madeline Hernandez. Living in a body is both deeply personal while also being a universal experience. By incorporating unique symbolism and using unconventional materials or points of view, these artists examine their relationship with perception, spirituality, and the Self. “What’s the difference between my art and my life, my “self” and others? What happens when those kinds of boundaries are blurred?” - Jessamyn Plotts.

Participating artists include:
Casey Alfstad
Lisa Alley
Tiggy Augery
Katie Chance
Erin Freeman
Clara Griffith
Madeline Hernandez
Mary Helen McNally
Cecelia Parker
Jessamyn Plotts
Erin Power
Maddy Sneep
Linda Wandt