Muse

James Freeman Gallery, 354 Upper Street, Islington, London
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Event has ended
This event ended on Saturday 4th of August 2018
Admission
Free
Location

James Freeman Gallery, 354 Upper Street, Islington, London

Nearest Tube/Rail Stations
Angel 0.20 miles

The new exhibition Muse at James Freeman Gallery in London features work by contemporary artists Gill Button and Sikelela Owen. The exhibition explores the role of the muse in a modern world saturated with visual stimuli.

Since the Golden Age of Greece, the quintessential muse has been the inspirational deity of literature, science and the arts. This elusive figure somewhere between a goddess and a woman has always had the pivotal role of enticing the creativity and artistic genius from their male counterpart. From Dora Maar, Kiki de Montparnasse to Edie Sedgwick the muse is an ever-present figure. With the muse historically viewed as the subject of the male gaze, now artists Sikelela Owen and Gill Button offer a fresh female perspective on this complex relationship and explore the identity of the modern muse who represents more than just the idealised female form.

Both artists present dreamlike sometimes abstracted figures, engaging with varying sources of inspiration in everyday life. While Owen’s muses are intimate, often family and friends, Button finds her inspiration within the enigmatic faces of fashion models and film icons that flood the media, mostly working from secondary sources.

Gill Button became an Instagram sensation just a few months after joining the social media platform, leading to collaborations with Gucci and Dries van Noten and her work featuring in Vogue. In her gestural and spontaneous ink and watercolour paintings, she explores the relationship between outer image and inner character. As an artist she often highlights her subjects features with makeup, whilst the soft lines and washes of muted colour contrast with the piercing stares of the compelling female subjects. The artist aims to capture not just a face, but portrays a strong presence and depth of character as her own emotions seep into her work leading the viewer to question, are we our own muse?

In a similarly painterly and distinctly supple style, Sikelela Owen portrays intimate scenes, capturing moments of vulnerability and genuineness in the everyday life. Owen discards all pretenses and external noise, using her art to make sense of the people that surround her. Her works invite us into her private sphere, finding strength in the delicate and giving us a glimpse into the profundity of her personal relationships showing that a muse’s beauty and power are more than skin deep.

Artists Gill Button and Sikelela Owen and gallery founder and curator James Freeman are available for interview.

Private View on Thursday 12 July 6.30 - 8.30pm. To attend please RSVP at [email protected].

Tags: Exhibition

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