New works by Kate O'Leary

December 4 - December 23 2009

A Crash of Critters is a collection of original illustrations and screen-printed plushies inspired by Terms of Venery—collective nouns for specific animal groups that range from the commonplace (“a litter of puppies”) to the quirky (“a ballet of swans”). These terms stem from old English hunting traditions, but coining new terms has become something of a game among enthusiasts. O’Leary has chosen some official and unofficial group names to illustrate, giving life to a fun little world of playful compositions. Coming from a background in children’s illustration, her works make fantastic use of literary devices, beginning with a sentence or idea as a seed for a larger narrative.