a thin place

APRIL 17 - MAY 15, 2021

RO2 ART

DALLAS, TX

The concept for Krista Chalkley’s first solo exhibition, a thin place, began as an indulgent fictional world the artist created as a mental escape from the turmoil and rigidity of recent society. As the country seemed to grow more intolerant and the pandemic only accelerated sociopolitical issues, Chalkley felt frustrated with the limits of people’s inclusivity and imagination for change and thus began to daydream of this alternate universe where malice is replaced by reverence. The artist’s philosophy of nuance and fluidity in sexuality and gender identity also had influence in the composing of the dreamy landscape, with the beauty of the enchanted utopia stemming from its authenticity, divergence, and ambiguity.

a thin place borrows its name from an ancient concept linked to Irish folklore from as early as 3000 BCE, though many cultures share similar ideologies. The phrase “thin places” refers to particular geographical locations where the presence of another world besides our own is felt and the veil between is “thin”. Transcending our usual senses, thin places can only be experienced through their distinctive energy, and it is this pervading metaphysical force that is said to strip away conventional thought and awaken our spirits through the magnetism of nature.

Critiquing rigid thinking in a complex world, a thin place offers a glance into a world that we may be unintentionally withholding from ourselves as it calls us back to the sacred earth so that we may heal and become interconnected once again. Depicting a portal and other mystical imagery, the exhibition is an invitation to step out of the confines of our current thinking and into a bright, new potentiality.