The article reviews "Before We Knew Better," a group exhibition at Elise Seigenthaler Gallery featuring artists Sarah Bedford, Day Brièrre, Josiah Ellner, and Léa LeFloc'h. The critic reflects on the show's thematic framing around narrative, folklore, and personal mythology, while expressing frustration with its open-endedness and lack of clear intent. Specific works are discussed, including Ellner's psychedelic unicorn paintings, LeFloc'h's enigmatic works on paper, Bedford's nocturnal flowers, and Brièrre's intricate ceramics, though the critic notes the installation does not always serve the pieces well.
This review matters because it critiques a growing trend in contemporary art where ambiguity and incompletion are used as a shield against deeper interpretation, comparing it to the bildungsroman genre's perpetual "becoming." The article raises questions about curatorial responsibility and the expectation for artists to explain their work, ultimately arguing that art should provide an inarticulable aesthetic experience without resorting to deliberate obscurity.