Creativity is allowing yourself to make mistakes. Art is knowing which ones to keep.
Greenaway Art Gallery's latest exhibition reveals works from internationally renown photographic artist Deborah Paauwe. As always her photographs are hauntingly mysterious and her most recent body of work The Painted Mirror is no different.
As is the case with much of the American-born artists work, there is a hieghtened sense of intrigued created by the element of anominity due to the faces of the subjects being obscured, erased from the viewers gaze. In this situation, it is via a series of ornate handheld props, such as vintage colourful paper fans and hand-held painted mirrors. Like many of Paauwe's earlier works, there is an undeniable narrative with autobiographical linkages to personal history, in particular her part-Chinese heritage. Paauwe cites there is a cultural sensibility of concealing one’s emotions which seems to be an obvious inspiration for the series.
Employing the use of sequins and symbology related to the world of child beauty pageants this series of staged portraits relay a tension between the public and private. Although Paauwe's highly gestural photographs beautifully capture the young girls striking a variety of melodramtic poses, the images certainly have an element of unease and indicate that something is askew
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