MJ Lounsberry’s “Proven Lollygaggers”
Opening Saturday, November 23rd, 6-10 pm
3808 S Ashland

Ro Art Services is excited to announce Proven Lollygaggers, an exhibition of MJ Lounsberry. Following her online exhibition Happyology, this marks the first solo exhibition for both Lounsberry and Ro Art Services, and coincides with our first book release: MJ Lounsberry’s Collected Sketchbooks, Vol. I: 1-3, 2024. The book release will be a first edition print of 10, with each book containing 80 Risograph prints, a hand drawn work by Lounsberry, and forward by Michelle Grabner.

Preparing for the exhibition – which always feels like more of a mad dash than I expect – had the added dramatics of not only submitting our book to the printer, but also an election whose ominous shadow had already hung over the country for much of the past year. It is strange to work on a moment knowing the context will be so far out of one’s control. Will the book be done? Who will the president be? How will this work be seen. But going through the range of possibilities, I thought regardless of what happened, MJ would match the moment. Her work is not a response to any moment in time, but represents a prolonged dedication to a way of moving through time.

For some reason, it feels there has been a collective decision on what requires time. Committing to journeys of self-discovery. Extended trials and tribulations we call an odyssey. The words “warfare” and “lawfare” acknowledge their states as commitments of time, quite literally being wretchedly themed expeditions to be undertaken. Other things we attach words like “momentary,” “fleeting,” or “occasion.” We do not have a common vocabulary for equally prolonged states of ecstasy; “Joyfare” is not a word. Lollygagging’s origin was one of derision, a criticism of aimless indulgence in play and love.

The word’s origin seemed to imply joyful activities should be confined to an event, yet there is no such expectation for depression. While not a unique observation, it has been something of a preoccupation for me – perhaps due to my occupation. Walking through a museum, one finds a prevalence of somber, serious, poignant, thoughtful even flashy works. Moments of indulgence and the gregarious peek through, winks of humor and sparks of play. But in museums surveying art history, how often do you walk into a room and feel pervasive themes of joy or unbridled happiness? It seems so strange to me, as art can be anything we want it to be; it’s an occupation where we invent the terms of our success and choose the way to spend our time.

I remember walking into MJ’s studio for the first time. She pointed to a large painting. “That one’s the newest. Do you like it?” And without stopping, “I think it’s the best painting I ever made.” Something about the way she said it caught me off guard, delighted me. As we continued looking through her paintings, I would hear her say in serious tones, “That’s a really good painting,” again and again. Against any expectation, I enjoyed it the more she said it.

I did not feel her braggadocious in these moments, but rather heard them as sincere announcements of her enjoying the work she makes. Maybe that helps explain her devotion to her practice, which presents as a disciplined presence in the studio. And while I had totally imagined that explanation, I liked it. I like artists that enjoy making their work, and whose work I enjoy, and can fill me with joy. In a time when it feels so many forces suck our energy dry, MJ’s work presents a resilient and persistent source of happiness, connection, and enthusiasm.

MJ’s world is one of joyful pursuits, where figures wander through utopian settings of perpetual play. And yet there is a devotion to earned pleasure: painting, playing an instrument, playing sports, forming connection with another. These are tasks requiring time, effort and discipline, but you do not feel the weight of effort behind the her achievement. MJ’s paintings similarly do not burden us with expectations or struggle. Their scale and confidence present dedication and passion, but arrive at their destination unweary. Her work presents a journey made under the banner of a devotion to happiness, which only brings energy the longer she travels.

-ro

MJ Lounsberry (b. 1996, Waterloo, IA) lives and works in Chicago, IL. She received her BFA (2017) and MFA (2023) from The School of the Art Institute of Chicago. Primarily focused on painting and drawing, Lounsberry’s work builds and collapses utopian figurative narratives delving into nature, athletics, and spirituality. Lounsberry has exhibited at Rhona Hoffman, Chicago IL; Goldfinch, Chicago, IL; and Baby Blue, Chicago, IL. She is the recipient of the SAIC Leon W Guggenheim Scholarship 2021.

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