The all-female cast of Kristen Schiele’s new paintings and collages exist in a disjointed, cinematic dreamscape. Influenced by the highly stylized and macabre sensibility of the Italian filmmaker Dario Argento, these heroines confront the viewer directly as they define a new strategy of power in environments that traditionally serve only to circumscribe their identity. Lurid interiors depict women caught in a psychological matrix, playing games – both internally and literally. Broad swaths of bold color are contrasted with the intricate details of chessboards, Victorian frames, TVs, and frozen silhouettes. The artist’s paint surfaces, sophisticated networks built with etched paint, and taped, cut and silkscreened canvases, further enforce the experience of navigating through shattered and reclaimed domestic environments, where the abject and stereotype give way to a renewed and empowered feminine presence.