Aubrey Learner’s intricate watercolor, graphite and ink drawings are metaphors of desire and disgust — the disparate longings for both purity and sexual prowess, and the concurrent disgust with perversion and decay. Juxtaposing contemporary fascinations with sexuality against the various vulgarities associated with reproduction, she explores the imposition of societal mores, the coercive pressures of pornography to make oneself more desirable, and the eventual decay of the body and dissolution of sexual allure. Hoards of insects and animals associated with “the unclean” stand for an infestation of anxiety, as well as a state of impending entropy, as they simultaneously form and unravel the figure.
In Circadian, Learner’s new works develop these concepts with a playful examination of things short lived. From the brief life cycles of butterflies, to the fleeting pleasure of indulging in a piece of candy, Learner’s detailed illustrations suggest a simultaneous humor and melancholy to the old adage, “all good things must come to an end.”
Learner holds a BS in Biology and Fine Art from the University of Akron and an MFA in painting from San Francisco Art Institute. She has had numerous solo and group exhibitions throughout Ohio and the Bay Area. The artist lives and works in San Francisco, CA.