I popped into Studio West Gallery on Saturday to see their current exhibition, The Blush Upon Her Cheek. I was also lucky enough to listen to a selection of readings by writers responding to some of the themes within the show.
“Drawing from Restoration Court painter Sir Peter Lely’s Windsor Beauties (1660s), a set of eleven portraits depicting ladies of the court of King Charles II, the exhibition sees a trio of contemporary artists examine the problematics entrenched in the cultivation and appreciation of beauty.”
“Through delicate, sumptuous and subtle pieces spanning sculpture and painting, The Blush Upon Her Cheek sees a trio of contemporary artists examining the problematics entrenched in the cultivation and appreciation of beauty: Leo Costelloe, Florence Reekie, and Ki Yoong. ”
I took so much from this intimate collection of work. Florence Reekie’s choice of working on reclaimed fabric reminded me that the surface is part of the painting. Looking closely at Reekie’s work, the pristine and quiet backdrops contained memory of the previous function of the fabric. In one piece, the canvas was neatly glitched by a seam running vertically down, through the dark, void space.
For me, the entire exhibition was tactile yet precious. It was secretive, with work by Yoong almost revealing itself from behind a curtain. I loved the curatorial details by Bella Bonner, with fragments of shadows and lights; some still and some flickering, leading you from piece to piece. I loved the morphing of materials; almost becoming something whole - a melting candle lowering itself slowly down into the depths and curves of silver ribbon, itself also melting and cascading down the side of the plinth.
