Artist: Patty Carol
Reception: Nov 13, 4-6pm
Artist Talk: Nov 13, 4:30pm
Duration: Nov 10- Dec 12, 2025
Location: Turman Gallery (Fine Arts Building)
649 Chestnut Street, Terre Haute, IN 47809
Hours: M-F 11am-4pm, open until 6pm on Thursdays
All exhibitions are free and open to the public. This means family and friends are welcome.:)
About:
Chicago-based photographer Patty Carroll has been producing evocative and conceptually rich work since the 1970s, examining themes of femininity, identity, and domesticity. In the exhibition Anonymous Women: Domestic Demise, Carroll offers a window into the exaggerated yet poignant narratives surrounding the “housewife.” While this social construct has begun to shift in the 21st century as more women join the workforce, its influence remains deeply embedded in contemporary culture.
Each of Carroll’s meticulously staged, life-size domestic scenes is set in familiar spaces such as kitchens and living rooms and features a single mannequin as the subject, caught in moments of chaos or collapse. The boundaries between the figure and environment blur as Carroll employs monochromatic color schemes that merge subject and setting. This visual fusion underscores the overwhelming nature of domestic expectations and the erasure of individuality within the home.
Through humor and playful satire, Carroll softens the gravity of these circumstances, inviting viewers to reflect on the complexities of domestic life and the evolving notions of womanhood and identity. Her work challenges us to reconsider the enduring and shifting ideals of the “housewife,” offering both critique and empathy through a vividly constructed lens.