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In addition to the collective experience of a pandemic, and the uncertainty of not knowing how tomorrow will look (let alone next year), the situation has forced me — as an artist and as a human — to confront myself, my practice, and my flaws in a new way.
“Peeka-fuckin-boo” is the title of a recent painting of mine. The painting’s a huge (oversized) lion’s face, with creepy used-car-salesman teeth and tiny, beady eyes; it stares at you with a something — something — right in your face. You’re not sure where he’s come from or why, but he’s here and you can’t ignore him.
The last six months have felt very much like a confrontation with the Peeka-fuckin-boo lion. In addition to the collective experience of a pandemic, and the uncertainty of not knowing how tomorrow will look (let alone next year), the situation has forced me — as an artist and as a human — to confront myself, my practice, and my flaws in a new way. The lion is not a negative thing, only uncomfortable; necessary.
In this examination, a second meaning came to light. I always say that there’s a magic to making paintings, and that sometimes they completely sneak up on you. I love that idea, the paintings surprising, scaring, creeping up on their maker. I’ve also looked back on old works and wondered how the hell I managed to make them; the very essence of surprise lies in a moment, and sometimes when the moment is past, the surprise loses meaning. So here I am with these paintings that have very much said “Peeka-fuckin-boo”, surprising me in ways I never expected.
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ARTWORKS
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Encounters from her everyday are re-imagined on her large square canvases, half reality, half fantasy.
Sophie Vallance’s practice as a painter is best described as an intense examination of life; a conversation with herself. Encounters from her everyday are re-imagined on her large square canvases, half reality, half fantasy. Her imagery draws heavily on animals, self portraiture, food, and her subjective reality. In turn, these are inflected by tonalities ranging from the humorous to the darkly sad. She is currently based in Glasgow but has lived in both Berlin and London, allowing her practice to naturally evolve through time and locale, tied not to particular geographical place, but instead to the experiential and how it takes on shape and distinction in hindsight. Her own voice sits at the nexus of feminist practices, cathartic art-making, processes of confession, folklore, and storytelling.
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VIRTUAL REALITY
PEEKA-FUCKIN-BOO: A DEBUT SOLO SHOW BY SOPHIE VALLANCE | IT'S 2020 FOR F*CK SAKE – A THIRTEEN ARTIST, BACK-TO-BACK SOLO EXHIBITION MARATHON
Past Exhibitions viewing_room
