Valley of the Dolls

About

Featuring all new works from Andrew and Hannah, this show acutely explores the representation of the female throughout Art History, without the obvious imagery. The works, ranging from the pastoral to the absurd, are shown together under the epithet 'Valley of the Dolls'. The works in this exhibition are a collection of painting, drawing and screen-prints that bring together the two very distinct stylistic traits of each of the artists. The thematic basis for Valley of the Dolls threads each of the artist' works together to create a conversation between the ‘Goat headed girls' of Andrew's work, and the isolated, brooding figures of Hannah's. Abundant in both detail and reference their influences can be traced from a wealth of contemporary media imagery, traditional icon painting, old master portraiture and fashion editorial. The works serve as return to fine art practice, exemplifying the talent of both artists to create a show that is both contemporary, and in historical context through the use of the artists' divergent influences. ‘These works pay homage to the depiction of women within Art History, tethered with the apathy and frivolity of more contemporary media imagery. Large brimming eyes, long flowing hair, smart mouths and bony fingers borrow from religious icons, plastic dolls, old master blondes and society heiresses. These isolated women are imagined as brooding heroines; feral, hermit like creatures; and melancholy painters that are at once both humorous and hopeless.' Hannah Wooll ‘Religiosity and images of feminine power are ever present throughout my work. Whereas the geisha girl of my earlier work represented the rise to a state of realised grace, the goat-girl personifies the fall into decadence and pleasure: into a hedonistic playground, a masked ball of mysticism and idolatry. I employ the repeated motif of the Datura flower (a tropane plant traditionally used in hermetic rituals) which is associated with divination and feminine power in a number of cultures and with deities such as the goddess Kali in Hinduism. Feeding from a variety of source material, from fashion editorials to early alchemical engravings, the art exists in a universe where Cabbala meets Cavalli and the contemporary and the archaic are equally present.' Andrew George Magee