Two Faced. Three Faced. Four Faced. Five.

April 03, 2026 - May 17, 2026

From Lydia Street Gallery:
"two faced. three faced. four faced. five.
“What’s in a name? That which we call a rose
By any other word would smell as sweet.
So Romeo would, were he not Romeo called,
Retain that dear perfection which he owes
Without that title. Romeo, doff thy name,
And, for thy name, which is no part of thee,
Take all myself.”
William Shakespeare / Romeo & Juliet, Act 2, scene 2 / circa 1595
In the famous Shakespearean play ‘Romeo & Juliet’, Juliet is not allowed to associate with Romeo because he is a Montague. If he had any other name it would be fine. But, he doesn’t. She’s complaining that his name is meaningless. If the rose had any other name it would still be the same. So with Romeo; he would still be the same beautiful young man even if he had a different name. So, as Juliet says: What IS in a name? Why is it so important to have a name? What do we associate with a name? Name’s are commonly known as associators. They are a way in which we, as humans, can define someone as other. Therefore, we can determine a lot through a name. Of course, we can associate it. But, we can also control an identity to a certain extent. We can limit. We can arrange our thoughts and actions. We can also restrict ourselves. Why is it so important that we limit ourselves to a single name or identity? What is it about us that we allow ourselves to restrict ourselves to one identity? What is so exactly difficult or dangerous about having or creating multiple personalities? This exhibition seeks to understand the limitations of upholding a singular perspective - a singular identity. There is something more compelling at work here. It is the idea that the essence of a person or thing is more important than the name or label assigned to it. The creative world has a long tradition of embracing the pseudonym, the nom de plume, the alias, the pen name, etc. For various reasons, artists in literature, the fine arts, theatre, and music have decided that a different name will suffice. Sometimes, social circumstances required it. At other times, it was necessary in order to circumvent a difficulty or challenge. The artist(s) in this exhibition ALL originate from the same source. Yet, each of them has their own reason for existing. Each has the responsibility of dealing with a particular perspective or action. Each of the identities inherently adopts a certain way of working .... of creating. They have their own visual language and their own way of approaching a particular outcome. At times, it is necessary that they collaborate with one another, but for the most part they adhere to their own psychic boundaries. The artist(s) in this exhibition are associated by nature. But, they are designed by a necessity to bring order to a multitudinous expression. In the end, it is not important how the ART is created, or by whom it is created. The importance is in the thing created."

Reception May 15, 2026 | 7:00 - 10:00 pm

Lydia Art Salon
1200 East 11th Street #109
Austin, Texas 78702