Meg Atkinson
Welcome to the Pecking Order
August 27 - September 24, 2021

my pet ram is pleased to present Welcome to the Pecking Order, a new solo exhibition by Brooklyn-based artist Meg Atkinson. Presenting a new series of paintings, Atkinson’s works reference her rich abstract past and move securely into the world of figuration. Touching on her own personal histories, the realities of her upbringing, and the idiosyncratic qualities of the current moment, Atkinson assembles a visual language all her own. 

At the center of Welcome to the Pecking Order is Atkinson’s ongoing series of “Princesses, Witches, Nurses, and Victims” a body of work depicting the notorious, albeit tiresome roles women are continually and narrowly cast in. These are not just Halloween costume options at the drugstore but rather a quintessential spread of archetypes that women are forced into. Engineered by the wheel of the patriarchy and actualized through culture, again and again, women are endlessly type-casted in this limited manner, prescribed to either the Madonna or the whore, or some variation of each. Atkinson is no stranger to this societal shortcoming, being raised in a Boston suburb in the 1960’s/70’s, these were the only options presented to her as a young woman. Now in her 60’s, Atkinson’s paintings look back to these characters as a wellspring of inspiration, depicting them playfully and ironically, commenting on their absurdity through symbolic tropes and folklorish representation. 

While Atkinson holds on to her signature abstract grid background in some cases, she explores more realistic portrayals of dimensionality with rolling landscapes and four-walled interiors- grounding her figures in real space and time. Stylistically, Atkinson’s subjects are rendered naively, features are simplified and details are smoothed to their elemental basics. The result is playful and immediate, allowing for irony and imagination in her message. Cryptic texts swell within bulging word bubbles, creating a graphic, almost comic-book-like aesthetic. Inside lies snarky commentary on the (mostly male) juggernauts of the art world. References to Mel Bochner’s Blah Blah Blah series, and Jasper John’s infamous Savarin “Painted Bronze” 1960’s sculpture. In regards to the title, Welcome to the Pecking Order, Atkinson nods to the hierarchical nature of social media, its fascinating and often alienating nature that has for better or worse, shaped our current art world. 

Commentary is at the center of her work, reflecting Atkinson’s own narratives and histories: her upbringing, the subversion of gender roles placed upon her, and the roads she’s taken as a woman and an artist. Her subjects are generous, allowing for viewers to impart their own personal stories onto her paintings. Welcome to the Pecking Order remain on view from August 27th through September 24th with an artist reception on Wednesday, September 1st from 6-9 pm.

Meg Atkinson is an artist and art educator who lives in New York City. She received her BFA from Pratt Institute in 1984 and her MFA from CUNY, Queens College in 1991. Meg has exhibited in New York City and the tri-state area, including shows at Cooler Gallery, Morgan Lehman Gallery, Geoffrey Young Gallery, Storefront Ten Eyck, and Curious Matter. Meg has also contributed to the blog, Painters on Paintings, and has had fiction published in BookCourt's literary magazine, Cousin Corinne's Reminder. Meg lives and works in Brooklyn, NY.