Of the beast in me that everybody knows
They've seen him out dressed in my clothes
Patently unclear if it's New York or New Year
God help the beast in me
-excerpt from The Beast in Me by Nick Lowe

The Beast in Me loosely draws it's inspiration from Nick Lowe's somber lyrics. The tune describes an ever-present internal battle to control and express one's passion, personifying emotion as the Beast—which manifests itself as an almost second personality. Visual artists likewise grapple with the forces within that compel them to create what they do. This exhibition attempts to give form to that compulsion both physically and conceptually, exploring the multiple facets of the Beast’s influence on artistic expression which can be at once inspirational, brilliant, and clever as well as self-conscious, destructive, and uncontrollable.

Bringing together the work of six different artists from a variety of disciplines including painting, drawing, sculpture, video and sound—The Beast in Me presents a rich and dynamic environment within the gallery itself. A subtle dark undertone pervades the exhibition, made poignant by the occasional juxtaposition of humor and beauty. Physical incarnations of creatures, the structures they inhabit, and narratives they inspire, exist adjacent to non-representational forms that evoke a darkness which is simultaneously intimate, vast, and austere.