Anderson Yezerski Gallery presents Bad optics, a group exhibition bringing together works by Karl Baden, Emily Eveleth, John Goodman, Campbell-Lynn McLean, Miranda Pikul, Laura Beth Reese, Rachel Rizzo, Sandra Stark, Allison Tanenhaus, and Megan Weeda. On view from July 3 through August 1, 2026, the exhibition explores the ways perception, interpretation, and visual experience are shaped—and often distorted—through contemporary artistic practice. Bringing together artists working across painting, photography, and mixed media, Bad optics examines how images influence the way we understand both ourselves and the world around us.

Through a diverse selection of works, the exhibition considers the instability of vision and the ambiguity of appearances, encouraging viewers to question the reliability of what they see. Whether addressing the politics of representation, the construction of memory, or the tension between observation and imagination, the participating artists reveal how perception is constantly mediated by personal experience, cultural narratives, and visual conventions. By placing distinct artistic voices in dialogue, Bad optics highlights the richness and complexity of contemporary image-making.

Reflecting Anderson Yezerski Gallery’s longstanding commitment to presenting both established and emerging artists, Bad optics offers a timely examination of seeing as an active and interpretive process rather than a neutral act. The exhibition invites audiences to engage with works that challenge certainty, embrace ambiguity, and reconsider the assumptions that shape everyday perception. Together, these artists propose new ways of looking that transform visual uncertainty into a space for reflection, curiosity, and critical inquiry.