Kathleen Ryan (born 1984, Santa Monica, CA; lives and works in New Jersey) turned heads with her trompe l’oeil series Bad Fruit, which debuted in February 2020 in Los Angeles, comprising larger-than-life moldy watermelons and rotting grapes wrought in scrap metal and semiprecious stones. Rinds of aluminum Airstream trailers and stems of copper plumbing pipe support fruity flesh and are rendered like pointillist paintings with thousands of colorful stone dots. In Bad Melon (Moldy Slice), and other works, Ryan adeptly probes the dualities of life and decay, taking notes from the luxurious subject matter of Dutch still life painting. With found objects, she incorporates the industrial materials and consumer castoffs of our own era, prompting viewers to contrast her precious creations with omnipresent detritus and waste. Swirled bowling balls become a giant string of beads mislaid on the gallery floor. Automotive hoods form a giant clamshell held taught with a sparkling, crystal beaded spiderweb. Ryan’s sculpture lures viewers with vibrant color and form, holds the eye with meticulous detail, and playfully provokes the mind with grotesque and bizarre twists. For this exhibition, the artist will create new work for Carnegie Museum of Art.

Kathleen Ryan is organized by Rachel Delphia, Alan G. and Jane A. Lehman Curator of Decorative Arts and Design.