Jonah Samson / Nothing To Be Done at Macaulay & Co. Fine Art

By Jaclyn Hayward

Absurdist loyalists will be drawn to the exhibit title of Nothing to be done while both recognizing it as the start of an infamous play but also as a relatable “vibe” for our times as we live through restrictions and lockdowns. 

On the pristine walls of Macaulay & Co. Fine Art, Jonah Samson’s works are presented featuring an array of black and white photographs as well as cyanotypes on vintage linens. The timelessness of the blue and familiarity of objects’ silhouettes on quilted textiles intensifies the scene around an otherwise minimalist space; stories were shared about the pieces like how they were made at the artist’s seaside home on Cape Breton Island – some using items like seaweed and beach pea.

The framed photographs are a real “mood” and bound to make you smile, both at the relatability of the expressions but also presented together as a display – an ode to absurdism itself: the photos of swimmers gasping for air, the upside-down athleticism. 

The works and production by Jonah Samson are definitely mesmerizing and bode well to the absurdism of our times as we have lots to do, yet nothing to be done during this time of keeping busy waiting.

Catch this exhibit at Macaulay & Co. Fine Art until February 5.

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*All photos care of Macaulay & Co. Fine Art