6/28-8/3/24: “Plantasia” at Commonweal Gallery, Philadelphia

COMMONWEAL is excited to announce Plantasia, our next exhibition opening on Friday, June 28th from 5p to 9p.

The exhibition, inspired by Mort Garson’s beloved 1976 album of the same name, features 11 Philadelphia-based artists focusing on flora and the organic world. Produced on a Moog synthesizer, which was a new technology at the time, Plantasia’s songs reflect the New Age whimsy and utopian aspirations of 1970s California. While the album is a cult classic amongst modern crate diggers, Garson’s intended audience was the houseplants people live with. Whether or not the music can literally help plants thrive as Garson believed, it certainly captures the joyous experimentation inspired by his deep connection with plant life.

Like its namesake album, COMMONWEAL’s exhibition of fun, earthy works explores how art nurtures the cycles of growth within us, both as individuals and as a community. While we live in a moment of tension and uncertainty, nature’s constant rhythm of change encourages us to see the potential for new growth all around us. Garson believed in the nurturing capacity of art, and so do we. Plantasia captures this hopeful vision as a reminder of our art communities’ incredible resilience.

COMMONWEAL’s Plantasia features:

Syd Carpenter

Annson Conway

Elijah Crawford

Kay Healy

Patricia Ingersoll

Doah Lee

Richie Lopez

Caitlin McCormack

Marissa Paternoster

carrie R

Jon Weary