Toby Sisson: The Soul of All Color

Providence artist Toby Sisson’s current solo show at RIC is a good chance to revisit work she previously displayed at Yellow Peril in 2015. (Fun fact: it was one of the first shows I ever reviewed for Law And Order Party.) A grid of shimmering moons and a large wall of inky black teardrops dominate a space full of art but devoid of contextual information. No artist statement, no titles or materials list, only a book of James Baldwin’s poetry by the door for reference. Sisson’s work is profoundly influenced by Baldwin, a favorite author of her mother. (The gallery’s website has a helpful essay.) Across the room, four encaustic totems hover ominously, elongated weaponlike variations on the teardrop shape.