Once upon a time, there was a show called Creature Comforts at Anya Tish Gallery (4411 Montrose). It was an exhibit containing the work of Lawndale studio residents Dawn Black and Anne Wood, along with that of Jennifer Nuttall, Wesley Harvey, and Mindy Kobler. The work is an exploration of the fine line between the fantastic and the frightening, and a delving into the exquisite weirdness of storytelling. In short, it’s a lot of ceramic bunnies, virulent, nightmarish imagery, and some truly menacing use of white space.

From the Conceal Project Series by Dawn Black

Wesley Harvey’s ceramic tableaus, such as And all the Yellow Bunnies… are deceptively cute—until you consider what it would be like to have dozens of atomic-yellow bunnies bum-rush you. Their intentions are unclear—do they want to nibble on your ankle booties or simply cuddle you into submission?

And all the Yellow Bunnies… by Wesley Harvey

Jennifer Nuttall’s Homeland Security series brings a Darger-esque aesthetic to a drab, earth-toned political landscape seemingly gouged into board, where small girls, manically smiling unicorns, and tanks cavort. Dawn Black’s exquisite watercolor, ink, and gouache creations balance the frilly and the upsetting, each work a careful balance of feminine figures watching and watched, seemingly caught at the moment just before something alarming steps into the frame. (See her Shack Bullies for a Technicolor window into the dreams of anyone who was bullied in gym class. I dare you.)

The show is a lovely blend of the detailed and the fuzzy, the familiar and the outlandish. In short, it’s like a really good fairy tale. Maybe all the animals aren’t friendly. The unicorns probably want to eat you. And there’s not much evidence of Prince Charming riding in with hair the color of dish soap and a whole saddle bag full of promises. But for now, these works are living happily ever after at the Anya Tisch Gallery—at least until August 6.

Scream by Ann Wood