Sara Anstis’ tiny pastel painting, one of over two dozen by the artist at Olney Gleason Gallery, pictures a serious-looking young woman behind four shelves of tiny bottles. Each with its own form, the vessels demand individual attention and suggest various specific functions. Titled ‘Lacrymatories,’ after the small vases found in ancient Roman tombs used to catch the tears of the bereaved, the objects bring to mind a spectrum of grief from the communal to the personal. The scene could represent a community’s response to a tragedy, safeguarded by a caretaker, or perhaps a personal collection of an individual who has suffered many losses or is prepared for future pain. Anstis lets viewers hypothesize the story behind each of the show’s enticingly surreal scenarios. (On view in Chelsea through Oct 24th).
