MIRROR|RORRIM

About

LatchKey Gallery in collaboration with Select World’s S 12 Studio is proud to present MIRROR|MIRROR exhibiting the work of February James and Shona McAndrew. On view by appointment only from January 15, 2019 to February 15, 2019. The artists’ reception will take place on February 7, 2019 from 6-8pm – RSVP is required, info@latchkeygallery.com.

MIRROR|MIRROR explores two artists whose depiction of women offer a counter narrative to the cultural construct of beauty.  Both artists debunk the notion of a singular beauty deciding that their own self is sufficient. 

February James erases the ideas of perfection –via her portraits of color filled pastels and washed watercolors. The violent gestures of lush color found in her pastel works reveal the raw complexities of our inner selves. James deforms the face, layering the features with jarring juxtaposition of intense and unnatural colors. The sheer force of her palette commands the viewer to look deeper revealing that beneath every face are the latent faces of the true self.

Her watercolors are a reduction of detail created to capture the essence of a person rather than their physicality. The intimate portraits, isolated, consume the constraints of a 9 x 11-inch paper. The hallow features are raw and delicate – each expressive conveying an emotional state aimed to create or explore meaning. The artist’s desire to connect the viewer to her portraits are evident in the meticulous execution of the subject’s eyes lending a moment of intimacy that sees beyond the physical. 

As women become more empowered, no longer seeking permission, our own beauty is sufficient. Celebrating her own beauty, Shona McAndrew invites you to rejoice in her world of self-portraits rich with color and pattern.  You are an observer summoned to take inspiration by a woman displaying her total truth. Intimate depictions relaxed of any audience are on view not to be hidden – no longer invisible from the retrains of a defined singular beauty.  Paintings such as Looking Back, illustrate the classical perception of beauty, the Venus de Milo on display next to McAndrew naked observing a blemish on her skin. The pairing of the two is not lost on the viewer who is left to analyze both beauties and compare the evolving notions.

McAndrew who is perhaps best known for her sculptures uses her own body as muse for many of the spectacular figures. As an observer of her world, the artist invites the viewer to step into an intimate domain made of vibrantly worked details. It is here where you encounter a paper-mache woman come to life to share in her splendor.

Mirror|Mirror is a celebration of the female form in all its diversities - it glorifies our alleged imperfections to create a counter narrative of empowerment.