top of page

one plus one equals window

Opening Reception:

Thursday, June 13th from 6-9pm


Gallery Hours:

Saturdays 12-5pm and by appointment

June 8, 2024 - June 29, 2024

Image-empty-state_edited.png

Inspired by the profound insight of her twin daughters – the notion that “one plus one equals window” – Morgan Thomas Shankweiler’s work engages with symbiosis and interconnection as potential systems through which to make art; in the studio, in haptic interaction and in collaboration with Curator Zoe McCarthy. Shankweiler’s labyrinthian painted tapestries serve as visual testaments to the transformative power of unexpected connections generated throughout the creative process.


At the heart of this exhibition lies the concept of "windows" – moments of organic uncertainty that emerge from seemingly organized systems throughout the art making process. These windows, akin to portals, transcend their constituent parts, offering glimpses into new shapes, rules, and forms. They represent the potential inherent in chaos, acting as bridges between different languages and modalities.


This show presents a myriad of works where elements and languages of consistent rules and behaviors converge to create windows. Each window serves as a reminder of the inherent potential of uncertainty, whether it be to connect, transform, or destroy. Windows, as both literal and metaphorical portals, beckon viewers to explore the interplay between order and chaos, structure and topology.


one plus one equals window is curated by Automat member and multimedia artist Zoe McCarthy.

Morgan Thomas Shankweiler hails from Swarthmore, PA and currently splits her time between the Philadelphia area and the coast of Maine. She graduated with sociology and studio art majors from Williams College and studied miniature painting in Jaipur, India. Her background in sociology informs her work, which examines interconnectedness, potential systems and the commonalities of human experience through the visualizing of parameter-based and aleatoric game-play. Shankweiler has been awarded residencies at SVA (NYC), Penland School of Craft (NC), Da Vinci Art Alliance (PA), ChaShama/ChaNorth (NY), Ellis-Beauregard Foundation (ME), and Peninsula School of Art (WI) and a grant from the Joseph Roberts Foundation. Her award-winning work has been exhibited in solo and group shows across the US. Shankweiler has lectured to residents at Puente Art Lab in Quito, Ecuador, and taught workshops at the Philadelphia Museum of Art, Swarthmore College and Penland School of Craft.

AUTOMAT Collective

Suite 105, Crane Arts Building

1400 N. American Street

Philadelphia, PA 19122

Gallery Hours:

Saturdays 12-5pm and by appointment

Contact Us:

automatcollective(at)gmail(dot)com

© 2023 by AUTOMAT Collective.

AUTOMAT takes part in Second Thursdays. On the second Thursday of each month, AUTOMAT hosts opening receptions  and programming in its gallery space within the Crane Arts Building. 

  • Instagram
  • Facebook
bottom of page