The Cotton Candy Machine

These aren’t just sketches; they were the final, essential step before Tara began her painting process. Each piece captures the emotion and precision that defined her most impactful solo exhibitions.

THE DEATH OF BOTO DRAWING

Graphite on Bristol
Image: 13 x 9.5 inches
Framed: 20 x 17 inches
Signed, lower right: “McPherson”
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Hailing from the Amazon River basin, the legend of the Boto Cor-de-Rosa tells of a magical pink river dolphin with the power to shapeshift into an irresistible, handsome man. Under the glow of a full moon or during festive celebrations, he emerges from the water to charm and dance with the local villagers, always wearing a large hat to conceal the blowhole still visible on the top of his head. As the first light of dawn breaks, the enchantment fades, and he is forced to retreat to the river’s depths, shifting back into his aquatic form and vanishing once more into the murky currents.

In Tara McPherson’s The Death of Boto she explores the melancholy side of this myth. Her interpretation often touches on the intersection of ancient folklore and the modern world, using the Boto to represent the fleeting nature of attraction and the mysterious, sometimes tragic, connection between humans and the natural world.

Twenty two years ago, Mastodon released Leviathan, a masterpiece of heavy metal. To celebrate this milestone, on the 2024 Ashes of Leviathan tour, the band asked Tara McPherson to reimagine the envy-driven sea beasts of that world for their tour poster.

The result is a sprawling, 7 color cinematic vision brought to life by Lady Lazarus Press. By utilizing a diptych format, Tara was able to create a massive, immersive landscape of oceanic chaos and beauty.

Today, we are incredibly proud to offer the Glow-In-The-Dark Artist Proofs. These feature the unique green color way and specialized Glow-In-The-Dark & Metallic layers, and are available exclusively as a matching diptych set. With only 8 sets in existence, this is the rarest way to own this art.

7 Color Silkscreen
Glow-In-The-Dark And Metallic Inks
Neenah Classic Crest Cream
18” x 24” Diptych Set of 2
Artist Edition AP of 8
Signed and Numbered by Tara McPherson