Witness

In his debut solo exhibition, ‘Witness,’ Rowan Booth (b. 2004) grapples with the emotional fallout of our current social and political unrest. As a current senior BFA student at the Cleveland Institute of Art, Booth’s practice revolves around painting and various methods of printmaking, primarily copper intaglio and stone lithography.

In large to small-scale works, Booth presents the viewer with a surreal interpretation of the contemporary world that we’ve found ourselves in. This interpretation comes in the form of two disparate viewpoints: one of wine glasses, opulence, and a callous and willingful blindness; and the other of despondent and paralyzed stares, isolation, and the moon. In formulating these works, Booth utilizes a range of material practices, relying on a symbolic vocabulary taken from the history of painting, including pattern and Christian iconography.

Through this work, Booth challenges the viewer and their own response to this moment in history; what is your feeling in the face of this? Are you a witness, or are you complicit?

This exhibition is made possible by the Creativity Works grant funded by Cleveland Institute of Art.