About the Exhibition
Chicago-based artist Patty Carroll has created a site-specific installation and functional hotel room, offering hotel guests a completely immersive experience. Based on her photograph Panther from the series, Anonymous Woman, Domestic Demise, the space challenges visitors to explore the intricacies of domestic life and societal expectations, while providing a one-of-a-kind, thought–provoking stay.
Carroll’s series delves into the complex relationship between women and their surroundings, presenting a poignant commentary on identity and domesticity. Through her lens, the artist unveils the paradoxical nature of women’s existence, oscillating between empowerment and entrapment within the confines of their homes.
“My photographs are metaphors for the internal lives of women; how we substitute everyday objects and turn them into obsessions. The narratives in the series blur the line between reality and an imagined world of women. The Panther Room is an interpretation and extension of my original photograph inviting guests to immerse themselves in this amusing, elaborate theater with panthers and tropical vibes,” explains Carroll.
As guests step into the room, they step into Carroll’s photographs, welcomed by sultry green tones, tropical wallpaper, and vintage ceramic black panthers lining the ceiling. The bespoke drapes, bedspread, and fabrics evoke a cozy, dreamy feel, complemented by the original photograph titled Panther hanging above the bed, depicting an Anonymous Woman amidst her collection.
ABOUT THE ARTIST
Patty Carroll has been known for her use of highly intense, saturated color photographs since the 1970’s. Her recent project, “Anonymous Women,” consists of a 4-part series of studio installations made for the camera, addressing women and their complicated relationships with domesticity. By camouflaging the figure in drapery and/or domestic objects, Carroll creates a dark and humorous game of hide-and-seek between her viewers and the Anonymous Woman. The photographs are exhibited in large scale were published as a monograph in 2017 by Daylight Books, and as “Domestic Demise” monograph published by Aint Bad Books in 2020. This series has been exhibited internationally, has won multiple awards, and has been featured in prestigious blogs and international magazines such as the Huffington Post, the BJP in Britain, and NYT LensBlog. After teaching photography for many years, Carroll enthusiastically returned full time to the studio in 2014 to delight viewers with her playful critique of home and excess.
