Over the past week paintings by Kirsten Tradowsky have been soaring over the US en route to Pease Gallery for the show “Past Perfect,” which opened yesterday (3/17).

Installing this show was a real challenge because every piece was so complex, layered, and dense with color and painting technique. Our hope was to lay out the show in a way that the paintings would complement each other while not competing for attention.

In her artist statement for this show, Tradowsky tells how in each of these paintings she recreates images she finds in the “for sale” section of craigslist, complete with odd angles, cropping, and distorted perspective. Because of this thematic component, we chose to hang the show as if the objects were arranged at a yard sale, with both surprising and obvious groupings: while there is a section of cars placed in a row, there is another section with a life jacket, gun collection, and accordion. Like a trip through a thrift shop, this exhibition is a voyage of unexpected discovery, in which the conversations between pieces are as interesting as the pieces themselves.

Below you’ll find an image gallery of Grace, Heather, and Isaac installing the show. Check back for photos of the fully installed show soon.