TL;DR
Tanya Merrill’s exhibition Land animal, house animal presents new oil-and-graphite paintings of animals in the artist’s upstate New York surroundings. A Hyperallergic review connects the work to Merrill’s recent childbirth and family move, and describes its challenge to human-centered views of animals. The source does not provide exhibition dates or a gallery statement.
Tanya Merrill’s exhibition Land animal, house animal brings together new oil-and-graphite paintings of animals observed around her upstate New York home, according to a Hyperallergic review. The report connects the work to two recent changes in the artist’s life—a family move from New York City and the birth of her daughter—and says the paintings place animals’ own presence and apparent agency at the center.
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The review describes paintings made with oil and graphite on linen, including images of a dairy cow, a horse at night, a cat and a Northern harrier, also known as a marsh hawk. The bird is one Merrill frequently observes from her studio, according to the report. It describes the hawk painting’s gray, white and black feathers and piercing eyes, and notes echoes of regional folk art and Audubon.
One work is titled A milking cow at Evelyn’s dairy and dated 2026. Another, Marsh hawk, is also dated 2026; the report identifies Horse at night among the paintings. The article’s image captions credit Gregory Volk/Hyperallergic. Its review frames the exhibition as a response to Merrill’s changed surroundings after her family relocated upstate.
Hyperallergic characterizes Merrill’s approach as a challenge to an anthropocentric worldview—one that places humans above other animals. The review says the paintings present local animals as sentient beings with their own motivations and desires. That is the publication’s interpretation of the work, rather than a statement quoted directly from Merrill in the supplied report.
Animals at the Center of Merrill’s Paintings
The exhibition’s focus matters because it shifts attention from animals as scenery, property or symbols toward their individual presence. In the review’s reading, the cow, cat, horse and hawk are not simply supporting figures in a human story: each is presented as a subject with its own character and apparent purposes. That framing gives the paintings an ethical dimension without requiring them to function as explicit arguments.
The work also links that perspective to a specific place and moment in Merrill’s life. Her move from New York City to upstate New York brought her closer to the local animals described in the review, while the arrival of her daughter marked another major change. The report identifies these experiences as central to the exhibition, but does not establish that the paintings are autobiographical narratives. Their significance, as presented, lies in how close observation of animals becomes a way to reconsider the relationship between human and nonhuman life.
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A Move Upstate Shapes the Work
The Hyperallergic article is presented as a Pocket Review of an exhibition at 303 Gallery in New York. It describes Merrill’s family as having recently moved from New York City to upstate New York and says she gave birth to her daughter in June. The supplied source does not specify the year of the birth, so it cannot be placed more precisely on a timeline.
The review connects Merrill’s new surroundings to her attention to nearby animals, including a dairy cow and a marsh hawk she sees from her studio. It also situates the hawk painting in relation to regional folk art and Audubon. Those references offer a concise art-historical frame for the image; the report does not provide further detail on Merrill’s influences or describe a broader series history.
““Land animal, house animal””
— Hyperallergic review
Exhibition Dates and Artist’s Views
The supplied report does not give the exhibition’s opening or closing dates, the number of works on view, or details about availability. It also does not include a direct statement from Merrill, so the account of her intentions and the paintings’ challenge to human-centered thinking should be understood as the reviewer’s interpretation. The source names 2026 dates for some works but does not state when the review was published.
The article says Merrill gave birth in June but does not identify the year. It also provides no information about the paintings’ prices, materials beyond oil and graphite on linen, or whether the exhibition includes other media. Those details cannot be confirmed from the material provided.
Gallery Details Remain Unspecified
The source identifies 303 Gallery as the venue but supplies no schedule or forthcoming event information. Readers seeking current visiting dates, additional works or gallery programming will need to consult the gallery’s own listing or a fuller exhibition announcement. No future exhibition, publication or related event is announced in the report.
For now, the development is the presentation and review of Merrill’s new paintings, rather than a wider institutional or commercial announcement. Further information about the show’s run and the artist’s plans is not available in the supplied source.
Key Questions
What is Tanya Merrill’s exhibition called?
It is titled Land animal, house animal, according to the Hyperallergic review.
Where is the exhibition being shown?
The source identifies 303 Gallery in New York as the venue. It does not provide exhibition dates or visiting details.
What animals appear in the paintings?
The report mentions a dairy cow, a cat, a horse and a Northern harrier, also called a marsh hawk. It names works including A milking cow at Evelyn’s dairy, Marsh hawk and Horse at night.
What materials did Merrill use?
The paintings described in the report are made with oil and graphite on linen.
What remains unknown about the exhibition?
The supplied source does not state the show’s opening and closing dates, the number of works on view, or whether Merrill has discussed the paintings in her own words.
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