SENSE OF OTHER

PLEASE JOIN US for an EXTRAORDINARY exhibition of new work by Teresa Cunniff that includes a site-specific sculptural installation, digital media projections, and sound work.

The exhibition is informed by three related concepts: animal cognition; the subjective nature of perception based on sensory interpretation; and consciousness, often defined as an organism having a sense of self and others. Much of the work describes sensory abilities that are possessed by other species but not by humans—the ability to navigate by the Earth’s magnetic field; chemical, ultra- and infra-sonic communication; and visual acuity that includes color vision into the ultraviolet range.

Through her work, Teresa Cunniff explores our human regard for other life forms and the psychic bond we have with animals that we may never come in contact with. Working with range of media and processes including sound, digital animation, video, and sculptural installation, she creates a context in which the power structure between humans and other species can be deconstructed and reconfigured. With this new work, she suggests that if our relationship to the living world is not based on a hierarchy of owner and possession, or superiority and inferiority, a far more complex interaction becomes available— one in which the unique vitality and intelligence of all expressions of life can be recognized for their inherent value.

Teresa Cunniff was born in New York City and received her MFA in Spatial Art from San Jose State University in 2005. Her work has been exhibited regionally and nationally. Recent exhibitions include the Bedford Gallery in Walnut Creek, Krowswork Gallery in Oakland, the Berkeley Art Center, Annmarie Garden Sculpture Park & Art Center, Solomons, MA, and Mission 17 in San Francisco. See www.teresacunniff.com