Thankfully not all contemporary art consists of unmade beds or dead sheep in
formaldehyde. Nicola Slattery does however make considerable use of beds and
sheep as imagined subjects and props within many of her paintings and prints. The
images have a distinct style and palette which Slattery has made her own. Examples
of her work can be found with several leading art dealers and on show at the main
London art fairs. In Ipswich the John Russell Gallery in Wherry Lane near the
fashionable waterfront and well known for showcasing East Anglia’s leading
contemporary art will host Nicola Slattery. The whole of the main gallery will be given over to Slattery’s work
between 15th June and 12th July.
Although paintings by Slattery now command upwards of two or three thousand
pounds her hand made limited edition prints can still be bought for less than five
hundred making them accessible and very good value especially in view of the small
number of prints in each edition.
Her work has been described as "haunting" and "surreal". A common strand is the
use of ambiguous imagery involving people and animals. The strange dream like
logic that pervades throughout her work contributes to a certain quality that defies
analysis. Slattery says she is reluctant to attempt a detailed interpretation of her work
stating that:
"I acknowledge that I am drawn repeatedly to certain elements and imagery in my work but I am not really concerned with why I paint this or that. My intention is simply to create an image which I think combines a certain beauty together with a sense of what I call peaceful thoughtfulness".
Most of Slattery’s work is now sold within a few months of being completed. Perhaps
this growing following of collectors also find beauty and peace within her imagery
which sometimes depicts beds and sheep. Maybe they also like the fact that a painting
or print takes up a lot less space than a tank of formaldehyde or an unmade bed!
IMAGE:
Nicola Slattery
Dreams
acrylic painting
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