The latest exhibit at the Janet Carson Galley examines ideas of the monstrous.

The Janet Carson Gallery’s latest exhibit, “Imagining Otherness: Catching Sight of Monstrosity,” seeks to explore the theme of monstrosity in its various forms. It will be open through April 25, so make sure to check it out before it’s gone. The exhibit features 20 works by eight regional artists: Daniel Atyim, Kate Casanova, Lori Chilefone, Grace Fechner, Ned Gannon, Susan Sveda-Uncapher, Molly Uravitch, and Joseph Velasquez. Much of the art was made specifically for the show, adding to its immediacy, while other pieces were prior works by the artists that happened to fit the theme well.

The pieces vary widely in mediums used as well as the perspective on monstrosity that they take. Some seek to examine what is truly monstrous about our society and culture, taking the figurative route. One piece that critiques an aspect of society is a portrait of hunters taking down a majestic creature, which was created by Gannon, a professor of illustration at UW-Eau Claire. Other pieces are more literal portraits or sculptures of monsters, such as a few clay sculptures of unknown and fantastical creatures. However, none of the pieces are what you would expect. All offer some unique perspective on exactly what it is to be a monster and how that can be interpreted.

Jill Olm is one of the co-curators of the exhibit and is very excited about each of the pieces on display: “We really wanted to explore the idea of … monstrosity, whether it might be power, or what is a monstrous act or a monstrous thought, or is there beauty in that? Is it always a negative thing?” Olm and Meghan Mehlos, the exhibit’s other co-curator, really wanted a wide range of pieces that would explore a common theme but take it in wildly different directions.

For example, one piece, by Casanova, is a sculpture of several women’s faces with a thick piece of hair protruding from their open mouths. Olm says this piece “takes two things that in and of themselves are usually kind of beautiful and lovely, mouths and hair, but put together, that relationship could create something uncomfortable and disturbing.” Casanova, UWEC sculpture professor, describes herself as a “visual artist interested in ideas about nature and our ever-changing understanding of what it means to be a human animal.”

Olm also discusses the interesting interplay between playful and threatening that exists in popular culture in reference to monsters. Monsters were always a frightful thing, but over time and through children they have also been made into fun creatures and even jokes. This is evident in pieces in the exhibit as well. Many of the pieces have some sort of a fearful aspect as well as a playful aspect, almost poking a little fun at themselves.

The “combination of beautiful and grotesque” in the show is what excites Olm. “It’s a strange show; there are strange objects in it,” she says. “I think that most people will find something that is beautiful but will also find something that they find ugly or uncomfortable, and I think that’s a great collection of work … to leave something, not that you don’t like something, but something kind of challenged you in a way or something also gave you pleasure, like you kind of enjoyed seeing it. So you leave there kind of with both sides, and for us, that really connects to our theme.”

Imagining Otherness: Catching Sight of Monstrosity • Mar. 14-Apr. 25 • 9am-4:30pm Mondays-Fridays, 9am-7pm Thursdays • “Meet the Artists” Reception 5-8pm Thursday, Mar. 27 • Janet Carson Gallery at the Eau Claire Regional Arts Center, 316 Eau Claire St., Eau Claire • (715) 832-ARTS • www.eauclairearts.com