The
constant tension between the past, with references to classical art portraiture
and royally inspired depictions; and the future, through the longing and
hopeful gaze of characters often bearing a set of whimsical elements that
indicate the wonders still to happen; takes the viewer on an intimate journey
into oneself, exploring dreams, memories, and expectations in the present time.
In the
recent series “Phoenix”, Speers portrays powerful women figures that dwell
between the melancholy of their untold stories and the inspiring imminent
possibilities in the glare of their poses. This transformative gesture is also
present in the soulful chronicles of going through childhood into adult
life in the trilogy “The Birthday Party”, “Bulletproof” and “Dystopia”, in
which the artist presents the audience with striking questions on their own
humanity, challenges and desires, from beautifully constructed allegories and a
deeply informed contemporary standpoint.
Commissioned
by The V&A Museum for an exhibition on the impact of fashion on the planet,
Speers created "Fashioned from Nature", a series in which the works
across the line between reality and fantasy, beauty and ugliness or,
ultimately, life and death. In the same way, the photographs in “Botanica”,
taken in black and white and then subtly coloured, examine the notions of still
life, merging classical art with traditional scientific methods in an exquisite
act of preserving beautiful blooming flowers as by enchantment.
Vee Speers was born in Newcastle, Australia, in 1966. She has exhibited in museums, art fairs, and festivals in London, Paris, Miami, New York, Atlanta, China, Ireland, Singapore, Japan, Tunisia, Brazil, Mexico, Australia, Sweden, Italy, Norway, and Luxemburg. Her works have been published in more than 60 international magazines and have been acquired by several international public and private collections such as the Museum of Fine Arts Houston, Museum 21C Kentucky, DZ Bank Germany, Sir Elton John Collection, Michael Wilson Collection, Hoffman Collection, Carter Potash Collection, Morten Viskum Collection, Alan Siegel, Lawrence Schiller, George Eastman House, Beth Rudin Dewoody, Hudson Bay Company Art Fund and CB Collection Tokyo. Speers currently lives and works in Paris.
Open
Tuesday to Friday, from 11am to 7pm, and Saturdays, from 10am to 2pm at In the Pink Gallery for Fine Photo Art on Praça da República 69-75, 8100-270 Loulé.
For more
information, please visit www.in-the-pink.com
or visit @inthepinkphoto on Instagram.