SUNNY SIDE UP

SUNNY SIDE UP embraces yellow as a metaphor for optimism and positivity and brings together a fusion of new voices as we welcome Richard Scarry to the gallery. This exhibition includes CLOSE and invited artists from a broad and far-reaching demographic with one common element within their visual language.

Van Gogh famously used yellow in his sunflower paintings and The Yellow House (1888). During Picasso’s Blue Period, he incorporated yellow to contrast and highlight faces and significant objects. Renoir used yellow to add shine and definition to hair or to emphasize key elements of his paintings, such as the boat in The Skiff (1875).

Yellow also carries cultural significance beyond the art world. The Beatles’ song Yellow Submarine (1966) commentators suggest a deeper meaning. Time Magazine described it as a “symbol of the psychedelic set’s desire for escape,” while music journalist Peter Doggett noted that it became “a kind of Rorschach test for radical minds.”

In Christian iconography, Judas is often depicted wearing yellow, symbolizing deceit. American slang refers to yellow as cowardice, and during the Renaissance, Jewish people were marked with yellow. Tragically, this was echoed in the Holocaust. These contrasting meanings reflect the complexities of yellow’s symbolism throughout history. As we grapple with the tensions and challenges of our troubled world, SUNNY SIDE UP invites a deeper reflection on our past, present, and future. We hope this will inspire a conversation about belief, transformation, and hope. 

We’d love for you to visit the show—we look forward to seeing you.