The curtain rises on a buzzing throng singing and dancing in unison: clowns, dolls, and creatures: these are the inhabitants of Roonyland, a visual kaleidoscope of the show tunes saturated imagination of Baker Overstreet. Roonyland is a reference to Runyonland, the Guys and Dolls tribute to Damon Runyon, and a nod to Looney Tunes, two of Overstreet’s inspirations for comic scenes and characters. Among the footlights you will also see some references to Deco patterns: benign flowers, tear drops, fans and discs. Using a vibrant but limited palette of circus reds, blues and yellows, and a handful of lines and shapes, Overstreet is able to generate a multitude of unique faces and costumes that spread across the canvas and into the round. Figures of stuffed and painted canvas emerge as dolls and ‘knockdowns', barbell shapes based on carnival stall prizes. These clowns and sideshow attractions with their ruffles, dots, arched eyebrows and headdresses appear to taunt, shriek and sing from their elastic mouths.

text by Hannah Barrett