Cammie Staros engages the visual language of antiquities to examine the role objects play in understanding culture. Staros references Greco-Roman artifacts to reimagine age-old expressions of grand Western narratives, playfully mixing materials like ceramic, acrylic, marble, and neon. She incorporates systems of display as integral parts of her sculptures and installations, simultaneously exploring how stories of the past are told through objects and how those objects and their meanings might change in an imagined future.
Sunken City presents Staros’ work in a winding layout, mirroring the labyrinth of the ancient myth of the minotaur, which has been a recent source of inspiration for the artist. Within this structure, Staros presents new ceramic vessels, carved marble sculptures, and wall hangings meticulously conjoining forms cast from Greek coins. Adorned with delicate chains resembling spiderwebs, they evoke the eventual decay of even the most valued systems of functional human societies.
Sunken City is organized by SCAD Museum of Art curator Ben Tollefson and presented as part of SCAD deFINE ART 2024.
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