TL;DR
Get art and craft supplies delivered free with Prime
- Fast, free delivery on millions of items
- Prime Video, Amazon Music and more included
- Member-only deals all year
Tanya Merrill’s exhibition Land animal, house animal presents new oil-and-graphite paintings of animals she encounters in upstate New York. A Hyperallergic review links the work to Merrill’s recent move from New York City and the birth of her daughter in June; the paintings challenge human-centered ways of viewing animals.
Artist Tanya Merrill is showing new oil-and-graphite paintings of animals in Land animal, house animal, an exhibition at 303 Gallery in New York. In a review, Hyperallergic’s Gregory Volk describes the work as shaped by Merrill’s recent move from New York City to upstate New York and the birth of her daughter in June, with local animals presented as beings with their own motivations rather than as lesser subjects.
The paintings take their subjects from Merrill’s surroundings, including a dairy cow, a cat, a horse and a Northern harrier, also known as a marsh hawk. The review points to the bird’s piercing eyes and detailed gray, white and black feathers, and notes that Merrill frequently observes it from her studio. The work combines oil and graphite on linen.
Among the works named in the review are A milking cow at Evelyn’s dairy and Marsh hawk, both dated 2026, as well as Horse at night. Hyperallergic’s image captions credit the photographs to Gregory Volk. The review also notes two paintings featuring a cat, including one it describes as inquisitive.
Volk frames the exhibition around Merrill’s challenge to an anthropocentric worldview—the idea that humans are superior to other animals. Rather than treating the animals only as scenery or symbols, the paintings foreground them as sentient subjects. That framing is the reviewer’s account of the work; the source does not provide a direct statement from Merrill explaining her intentions.
Animals Take Center Stage
The exhibition’s subject matter makes the relationship between people and animals its central concern. Merrill’s paintings give individual animals visual presence and agency, inviting viewers to regard a cow, cat or bird as more than a familiar feature of a rural setting. The approach matters because it pushes against a human-centered hierarchy that often places animals in the background of human stories.
The works are also tied to a specific change in the artist’s life: parenthood and relocation. The review connects those experiences to Merrill’s attention to the animals around her new home. It does not establish that the move or birth caused a particular artistic shift, but presents them as circumstances informing the new body of work.
For gallery visitors, the paintings offer a focused way to consider how close observation can alter the way an animal subject is seen. The exhibition’s significance lies in that shift of attention, rather than in any claim about a broader movement or measured effect on audiences.
oil and graphite linen art supplies
As an affiliate, we earn on qualifying purchases.
As an affiliate, we earn on qualifying purchases.
A New Setting for Merrill
According to Hyperallergic, Merrill’s family recently moved from New York City to upstate New York. The review says she gave birth to her daughter in June, though it does not specify the year in that reference. Together, the move and the arrival of a child form the personal background Volk identifies for the paintings.
The exhibition is titled Land animal, house animal and is presented by 303 Gallery in New York. Its subjects range from domestic and farm animals to a wild bird observed near Merrill’s studio. The review says the marsh hawk painting echoes regional folk art and Audubon, placing it in relation to traditions of depicting animals and the natural world.
The source is a short review, not a gallery catalogue or interview. It names selected works and describes their subjects and materials, but does not provide a full checklist, exhibition dates, dimensions, or a detailed account of how each painting was made.
““sentient beings with their own motivations and desires””
— Gregory Volk, Hyperallergic reviewer
As an affiliate, we earn on qualifying purchases.
Exhibition Details Not Supplied
The source does not specify the exhibition’s opening or closing dates, whether it remains on view, or the complete list of works. It also gives no direct interview or statement from Merrill, so the interpretation of her aims comes from the reviewer rather than from the artist’s own words.
The review says Merrill gave birth in June but does not state the year. It does not explain how long the family has lived upstate, identify the precise location of her studio, or provide further details about the animals’ settings beyond the named dairy and the hawk she observes from the studio. Those details cannot be confirmed from the material provided.
studio-quality oil paints for artists
As an affiliate, we earn on qualifying purchases.
As an affiliate, we earn on qualifying purchases.
Check 303 Gallery for Dates
Readers seeking practical information about visiting should consult 303 Gallery for current exhibition dates and access details. The Hyperallergic report presents the exhibition and selected works but does not state a closing date or announce any related events.
No further exhibition milestones, public programs or forthcoming works by Merrill are identified in the source. Additional information about the full selection of paintings and the artist’s own account of the work would clarify how the themes described in the review are developed across the exhibition.
graphite drawing pencils for detailed sketches
As an affiliate, we earn on qualifying purchases.
As an affiliate, we earn on qualifying purchases.
Key Questions
What is Tanya Merrill’s Animal Instinct?
Animal Instinct is the title used in the topic prompt. The exhibition named in the Hyperallergic report is Land animal, house animal, featuring new animal paintings by Tanya Merrill.
Where is Land animal, house animal showing?
The exhibition is at 303 Gallery in New York, according to the Hyperallergic review. The source does not provide its dates or current availability.
What animals appear in Merrill’s paintings?
The review names a dairy cow, cats, a horse and a Northern harrier, also called a marsh hawk. It says Merrill frequently observes the hawk from her studio.
What materials did Merrill use?
The works discussed are oil-and-graphite paintings on linen. The source identifies several works as dated 2026.
What inspired the exhibition?
Hyperallergic reviewer Gregory Volk connects the paintings to Merrill’s move upstate from New York City and the birth of her daughter in June. The review does not include a direct statement from Merrill about her intentions.
Source: rss
Fall Picks
fall essentials
As an affiliate, we earn on qualifying purchases.
