“The Feral Housewife” is the nom de guerre of Mary Beth Acosta, a longtime Leelanau County resident, whose collage work is on display at the Glen Arbor Arts Center until April 23. The word “feral,” generally, is defined in one of two ways: “of, relating to, or suggestive of a wild beast,” or “having escaped from domestication and become wild.” The latter definition of “feral” is that which resonates with Acosta. Indeed, she playfully sees herself as “feral.” Acosta’s exhibit at the GAAC includes a retrospective of nine collage works that reference American culture from the 1940s through the 1960s, with an emphasis on female domesticity and Detroit automotive design. Her body of work is, essentially, a reflection on the ethos of those decades, and, also a parodic critique thereof.
