Plantasia

Plantasia, inspired by Mort Garson's beloved 1976 album of the same name, features 11 Philadelphia-based artists focusing on flora and the organic world. Garson’s album, which was produced on a Moog synthesizer (a new technology at the time) reflects 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. Like its namesake album, COMMONWEAL’s exhibition of fun, earthy works explores how art nurtures the cycles of growth within us. While the world may be filled with uncertainty, nature’s constant rhythm encourages us to see the positive potential for new development and change. Garson believed in the nurturing capacity of art, and so do we.

COMMONWEAL’s Plantasia captures this hopeful vision as a reminder of our incredible resilience. Plantasia features the work of Syd Carpenter, Annson Conaway, Elijah Crawford, Kay Healy, Patricia Ingersoll, Doah Lee, Richie Lopez, Caitlin McCormack, Marissa Paternoster, carrie R, and Jon Weary.

The exhibition is co-curated by COMMONWEAL’s gallery assistant, Sarah Feferman. (