Watching Over Us

Cortney Herron’s latest body of work explores identity as a frequency — something continually transmitted, interpreted, and recalibrated in relation to one’s surroundings. Her figures appear as beings in disguise, with elongated fingers, gloves, veils, masks, and animal forms functioning as tools for translation between the internal self and the external world. Recurring feline imagery shifts from companion or guardian to camouflage, blurring the boundaries between figure and disguise while reflecting the subtle adaptations required to navigate spaces in which one may feel misunderstood or othered.

At the center of the series is an exploration of energy and the invisible exchanges that occur between individuals. Herron considers the tension between what can be controlled or concealed and what is inevitably communicated through presence, perception, and connection. Her figures appear to move between possible versions of themselves, shifting in response to how they are perceived. Through this evolving visual language, Herron examines adaptation as a form of endurance, revealing the complex ways identity is preserved, transformed, and expressed.

In the artist's words:

"Two figures share an intimate moment, one holding a bouquet of delicate white flowers, while both are enveloped in a veil that takes the form of a bird. Their closeness and positioning create the silhouette of a distant mountain range, suggesting ancestors transformed into something enduring and grounded, watching over those below. The bird-like veil extends this sense of quiet guardianship, evoking messengers or spiritual presences moving between worlds. The figures become something other than themselves without ever fully disappearing, transformed into landscape, disguise, and protection all at once."