Artist Statement

Art as work is pleased to present Light Enough To Drown In, a group installation conceived by the Maryland artists Alexandra Comb, Amanda Lane, Lily Coburn and Abigail Rubin. 

These four women artists came together, imitating an over romanticized version of what a woman should be. In a place in which we carry, reimagine, and reclaim womanhood, Light Enough To Drown In is a picnic style, group exhibition. In this space we were intentionally non-traditional in our works. Placed among blankets, snacks and ephemera, the work invites intimacy and disarms formality. 

Alexandra explores the way femininity exists outside of the self - within Intimates, and the quiet details of daily life. Reflecting a hidden softness. The slow, meticulous process of working with stained glass mirrors an artist's relationship with femininity-fractured, reshaped and redefined. This is a space where femininity is not something lost, but something built with intension, care and permanence. 

Gently resting under the baby’s breath, Amanda’s piece, Floral Dreams, explores the harmony between nature and the individual, celebrating the beauty of natural elements interwoven with personal identity.

Delicately laid out on the blanket, Lily’s three pieces challenge the long history of cultural and social obsession with youth. The prized ripeness contrasts with the rotting fruits of our labor. Just as the picnic invites the fleeting communal experience of our work, aging is also equated to loss of value.  

Abigail lifts the fallen leaves of Appalachia to feature scavenger's role in the process of decomposition. They are often written off as “ugly”, “mangey”, “gross”, and “unimportant”. It’s quite the opposite; these works focus on their beauty. Scavengers aid in breaking down the deceased and returning their energy to the earth and the living. The beetles represent the active decomposition that nature plays a role in. Trout are essential indicators of clean water and correctly functioning ecosystems. They’ve survived and supported Appalachian life in ways that are often hidden in the Holler under the brush of the rivers and streams. Their resilience provides comfort to those who have inhabited the area for millions of years. Even though the works are physically separate from each other, they are all connected in the end, just as in nature. 

The artists each currently live and work in Westminster, Maryland. 

Intimates, Stained Glass (2025) Alexandra Comb 

Floral Dreams, Pen 12 in x 6 in (2021) Amanda Lane

Reaching For Perfection, Oil Pastel, 7 " x 10" (2024) Lily Coburn

Rainbow Trout, Watercolor on Watercolor Paper, 2 in 6 in (2025) Abigail Rubin

Brook Trout, Watercolor on Watercolor Paper, 2 in x 5.5 in (2024) Abigail Rubin

Tiger Trout, Watercolor on Watercolor Paper, 2 in x 5.5 in (2025) Abigail Rubin

Brown Trout, Watercolor on Watercolor Paper, 2 in x 5.5 in  (2025) Abigail Rubin

Golden Trout, Watercolor on Watercolor Paper, 2 in x 5 in (2025) Abigail Rubin

Fiddler Beetle, Watercolor on Watercolor Paper, 1.5 in x 2 in  (2025) Abigail Rubin

Blue Death Feigning Beetle, Watercolor Paper, 1.5 x 2 in  (2025) Abigail Rubin

Dogsbane Leaf Beetle, Watercolor on Watercolor Paper, 1.25 in x 2.25 in  (2025) Abigail Rubin