Apocalypse Drawings: 2 Gallery Levels of Work at New Mavra Space
Curators connect the show to underground comics and spiritualism, arguing that drawing remains a vital tool for expressing anxiety in an era of rising costs and job scarcity.
By Alina Campbell ·
A new exhibition at Mavra in Jefferson Park uses drawing to address the current economic climate.
The show, titled Apocalypse Drawings, runs through November 6 and occupies two levels of the gallery. Curators Mary Amelia and Parker Davis frame the works as a direct response to the material precarity facing young people. They link the visual style to the histories of underground comics, spiritualism, and surrealism, specifically referencing techniques like automatic drawing and exquisite corpses. The curators describe drawing as a mechanism for giving voice to the unspeakable aspects of the mind, including violence and grotesquerie, amidst what they call the apocalypse of rising costs and inaccessibility.
The gallery displays a mix of traditional pen and paper pieces alongside mixed media works that the artists define as drawings. J.G. Singhal, the founder of Mavra, designed and built the tables that hold many of the pieces. The installation spans walls and hangs from basement rafters. The collection includes work from artists of various ages, backgrounds, and training levels. It features rare pieces by comics artists Mark Beyer and Mike Diana. The visual content ranges from the macabre and dreamy to the funny and anxious, reflecting the diverse impulses of the contributors.
The curators argue that drawing serves as a universal language for navigating the current crisis. Parker Davis, writing under the moniker DOTTK2007_TYPHONIANGRAFFITI, explains that black squares in comics or animation cels represent a composite of all possible images. Davis states that these squares function as mirrors for the viewer. Mary Amelia addresses the physical nature of the act, noting that confronting one’s body in real time forces a confrontation with the current moment. She questions whether individuals can trust their bodies and visions in the face of late-stage capitalism. The exhibition positions the artistic voice as a necessary declaration against the backdrop of increasing inequality.
Mavra is a new, artist-run gallery space. The exhibition offers a physical space for the community to engage with these themes. Visitors can view the show from Friday through Tuesday between noon and 6 PM. The address is 5338 W. Lawrence.
