Courtney Costa

ABOUT THE EXHIBITION

Islands, Witches is a collection of paintings and paper maché sculptures inspired by magic, world building, and the unique mythology of growing up in Las Vegas during the 90s and early 2000s.

While researching for my Girl World Pop Culture Event in June, I found myself looking through old photographs of my hometown and became particularly drawn to images of Treasure Island during the 90s. There was something magical about Las Vegas during that era. When I was very young, I genuinely believed The Excalibur was a real castle, and at one point, I had a neighbor who performed in the pirate show at Treasure Island. To me, having a neighbor whose job was to be a pirate felt completely normal. These memories became the foundation that Islands, Witches was built upon, along with inspiration from the vast desert skies and surrounding mountains of the Las Vegas Valley.

Continuing the world building themes explored in my previous exhibition, Girl World, I wanted to create an Island World full of magic, witches, starry skies, dangerous creatures. Its inhabitants, mostly girls and women, move through different landscapes. They roam at midnight, swim in the ocean, climb mountains, and perch at the edges of cliffs. They gather in circles, cast spells, braid one another’s hair, and form unlikely friendships with wild boars and crows.

The paintings are in shades of sunset pink and deep midnight blue, creating the impression that the entire island exists beneath a luminous moonlit sky. Vast clouds gather behind distant mountains, wisps of fog drift through the landscape, and large black rocks emerge from calm, peaceful waters.

I will be sharing a more in depth look at the collection, as well as the inspirations and ideas behind the work, during an Artist Presentation on October 14. My last Artist Presentation for Girl World was a crowd favorite, so for those who aren’t able to attend in person, fret not! I’ll be sharing a newsletter version with subscribers afterward.