March 24, 2006 - Ocober 26, 2006
Philadelphia artist Charmaine Caire is known for her colorful, theatrical, and surreal photographs that are typically wry commentaries about contemporary society including environmental issues, the economy, self-awareness, and lifestyle trends. Although serious issues, her work remains playful as she creates small stage sets filled with an array of familiar toy props (tiny plastic dolls, model cars, miniature trees, plastic houses, and fake foliage) whatever objects deemed necessary to inform the narrative tableau. Juxtaposed, arranged, and cinematically lighted, Caire's dioramas are transformed into dreamy melodramatic photographs that emphasize the underlying artifice of both the set and its subject matter.
