Small marks and individual units combine to build a landscape and architecture greater than its own. The exhibition Soft Bodies brings together the distinctive work of two artists, Melinda Braathen and Liz Stringer, each offering a unique perspective on the delicate interplay between the individual and the collective. The exhibition examines impermanence, transformation, and the evolving relationship between the sacred and the performative. Through painting and sculpture, both artists use their chosen mediums to create dynamic spaces that invite reflection on the mental and physical realms shaping human experience. Melinda Braathen's paintings navigate psychological states and sensory experiences, pulling viewers into abstract landscapes that embody movement, tension, and transformation. Her practice begins with personal photographs, which she reimagines through gouache studies before developing her intricate oil paintings. The painting's surface, full of variegated brushwork, oscillates between the sacred and the unsettling, evoking the emotional and ecological unease reflective of our human condition. Inspired by Edvard Munch's exploration of inward and outward realities, Braathen's paintings create spaces that invite contemplation where the boundaries between internal psychological states and external natural forces blur. Her works evoke the unpredictable power of nature and humanity's tenuous relationship with it. Liz Stringer creates a sculptural float inspired by The Rose Parade in Los Angeles, using the parade as a marker of civic ideals, abundance, and collectivity. The sculpture pulls from the parade's pageantry, combining ceramic, steel, and aluminum foil to form a "cultural body" in states of transformation. This blend of materials reflects growth, fragility, and ruin, creating a spectacle that merges sentiment with critique. Stringer's work explores how belief and collective energy shape temporary public spaces. The emotions of a crowd and the ephemeral architecture of parades create a fantastical, hybrid structure that bridges the personal and collective, mental and physical. At its core, the float examines the power of community and collaboration, showing how individual efforts can scale into something larger, capturing the strength of collective ideals. Through their respective practices, Braathen and Stringer create works that invite us to reflect on how individual and collective forces shape our understanding of the world and our place within it. The exhibition reminds us of the tenuous yet powerful bonds connecting us to one another and the larger forces of nature and culture that shape our collective experience. Melinda Braathen (b. 1985, Oslo, Norway) lives and works in Los Angeles. She earned her BFA from Bard College, Annandale-on-Hudson, NY, US in 2007. Her recent exhibitions include Atmosphere (2024) at Baert Gallery, Los Angeles, CA, US (2024); Charged Bodies, Golsa, Oslo, Norway (2023); Alice Folker, Copenhagen, Denmark (2023); Currents, Baert Gallery, Los Angeles, CA, US (2022). Liz Stringer is a multidisciplinary artist based in Long Beach, CA, explores themes of embodiment and corporeality through drawing, sculpture, and installation. With dual Bachelor’s degrees from UC San Diego (BFA & BS) and an MFA from UC Irvine, Stringer’s practice is rooted in science fiction, biopolitics, and feminist theory. Her work delves into the intersections of physical and metaphysical narratives, challenging societal constructs and inviting contemplation on vulnerability, metamorphosis, and resilience. Stringer is also actively involved in arts administration, co-founding initiatives like Group Practice and participating in the Cold Read, fostering supportive environments for emerging artists. This exhibition is a part of the College of Creative Studies Art Gallery’s Curated Exhibition Program led by Kim Garcia. Writing by Kim Garcia