SOIL presents works of its newest members: Sofya Belinskaya, Lee Davignon, Quinton Merada, and Tara Tamaribuchi. From their critical perspectives, these artists probe reality to bring light to what is unseen and forgotten, particularly in issues of social, economic, and environmental justice.  Through Hands, Loom, Pencil, and Shovel, they share modes of rereading and layering materials and images, whether they be found, archival, and of the everyday.  Through these works in assemblage, weaving, and drawing, the artists aim to develop discourse and connection.
 

A captivation with the underbelly of society lies at the core of conceptual sculptor Quinton Merada’s practice. Raised by a working class family, Merada developed a fascination with the disregarded from an early age. As a child, he remembers his father relying on labor unions to protect his rights and validate his worth as a worker. Unfortunately, in the United States, the working class has been repeatedly perpetrated with economic and social injustice. Although the new working class upholds this country’s integrity, it is consistently rendered invisible on social, economic, and political spectrums. 

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Utilizing found objects, Merada displays an interest in the inherent histories and metaphorical significance of discarded objects and forgotten spaces. His practice re-contextualizes these objects in an effort to elevate and foreground overlooked classes while conducting critiques on the privileges of wealthy elites. Merada chooses to underscore the intersection of labor and leisure with dark humor, irony, and absurdist perspectives to examine the class structures that dictate modern society. As his work stirs thought and opens dialogues, he hopes to provoke thoughtful exchanges amongst socio-economic spheres.