Lydia Blakeley: £eisure, 17 March – 14 April 2017, Vernon Street Gallery
Opening event: Thursday 16 March, 5-7pm
Leeds College of Art’s latest exhibition features a new body of work by alumna, Lydia Blakeley. In her first solo exhibition Blakeley presents six new paintings, using retro-style images to toy with our nostalgia for mid-century modernism. Bourgeoisie notions of leisure are presented as dream-like aspirations and female figures are picture-perfect air-hostesses and homemakers.
Lydia Blakeley graduated from Leeds College of Art in 2016 with a first class BA (Hons) in Fine Art. Her artistic practice explores contemporary culture through painted collage, drawing together references from the 1950s until the present day.
A critical text will accompany the exhibition, written by Professor Derek Horton, Visiting Professor of Contemporary Art at Birmingham City University, and co-director of &model gallery, Leeds. There will be a public engagement event in the style of a fast-paced pecha kucha discussion exploring Blakeley’s six new paintings.
Lydia Blakeley: £eisure is curated by Dr Sarah Taylor, Subject Leader BA (Hons) Fine Art and Crossing Borders research cluster leader.
Press Invite
Press are invited to Vernon Street Gallery, preview on Thursday 16 March 2017, from 5pm-7pm. Refreshments will be served and the artist will be present to answer questions. Please RSVP to: sophie.millerwallace@leeds-art.ac.uk or 0113 202 8044