Modern Times is delighted to present their second solo exhibition with Melbourne artist Stacey Rees, A Flower in the Pocket. A new discovery for me, Stacey held her first solo show All Your Gold at Modern Times in 2018. The sell-out show was widely celebrated and was featured in Vogue Living. I feel that Stacey's new series will once again strike a chord for many because it references her fascination with the lack of depth in our social media obsessed society, and the type of imagery and messaging that saturates our news feeds each day. Stacey believes the filters used on social media strip away our human characteristics and make us more hollow, somehow emptier. Layered and expressive, the series of 20 paintings depicts the female form in various poses of stillness and reflection, to more forward and powerful stances. Hauntingly beautiful, the woman in each piece appears with a visage partly devoid of features, truncated limbs and semi-sculpted forms. Filled blocks of colour and obvious brush strokes or drip marks characterise each stunning work.
Stacey explains how through this body of work she explores the way we, as a society, present ourselves across social media behind layers and filters, and the effects of this type of visual stimulation:
“Through this series, I want to ask the question; Is this what we’ve become? Just an image; one layer, with no depth, personality or history.
“And I want to understand the effects of this endless scrolling on social media,” Stacey continues. “We either like or dislike an image, or we keep on scrolling by, most likely to be forgotten.
“Compared to my previous work, I’ve toned down the colours in this series. By lessening the focus on colour, it has allowed me to focus more on texture, giving the pieces layers and in turn creating a deeper story behind each painting.”
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Solstice, Stacey Rees
Stone on Stone, Stacey Rees
Still Life, Stacey Rees
Needless to say, I'm loving these muted tones. Below is a peek into Stacey's creative studio, and if you'd like to find out more about her processes, including the mediums she uses, have a read of this interview carried out by Modern Times during her last exhibition.
To find out more about the exhibition and to download the catalogue, take a look here.
Images courtesy of Modern Times