“A Loss for Words” brings together two artists whose works both call for a more complex communication through imagery. The exhibition is comprised of Jacqueline Bishop’s oil paintings on panel in antique frames as well as painted discarded baby shoes, along with Douglas Bourgeois’ acrylic and collage works, wood collages, and collage-based oil paintings.

To counterbalance the abundance of human indifference towards the nonhuman, Bishop uses natural world imagery such as birds, bird nests, mammals and insects as universal signifiers for reminders of our co-existence. For Bishop, a bird nest is loaded with symbolism because it is connected to humans through labor, shelter, birth, innocence and its temporary existence. Bishop literally and metaphorically explores global and landscape issues. She celebrates the beauty of nature but also conveys a sense of impending doom. In her own words, “My work is all about loss of innocence, loss of species, loss of the natural world.”

Also featured in “A Loss for Words” are Bourgeois’ remarkable narrative oil paintings and school yearbook portraits. Rendered in rich detail, Bourgeois’ paintings are fused with fantasy and combine religious figures, pop-culture artifacts, as well as environmental and social issues. He explores the mysteries of human existence and portraits from found and forgotten sources.