Tanya Merrill: What Does the Dog Say? presents new paintings that examine humanity's relationship to nature and cultural portrayals of gender through invented narratives populated by animals and figures caught in moments of introspection, fervor, or mischief. Three canvases imagine scenes pairing women and dogs — each simultaneously referencing real figures in Merrill's life and personas from literature and art history — rendered in a minimal primary palette that echoes the simplicity of the children's book that gives the show its title. Sketched lines lend the canvases effervescence and immediacy, while recurring symbols build a mythology across works.
