Pam Glew: Beautiful and Damned
Pam Glew is one of the most original female British artists to emerge in recent years. So if you haven’t heard of her yet it’s guaranteed you will soon. She has already shown internationally, been commissioned by Polo Jeans Co to create an ‘Art Star’ and is a favourite with celebrity collectors.
For her third London solo show, ‘Beautiful and Damned’, she uses her signature style of dyeing and bleaching vintage materials to create significant and striking portraits of 20s and 30s icons including Charlie Chaplin, Clara Bow and Marlene Dietrich.
Not only are the pieces mesmerising and compelling, truly capturing the spirit of the age, but the movie starlets, society icons and characters she represents uncannily involve the viewer – those special lost eyes stare at you revealing their vulnerability, securing their essence. It is worthy of note to contrast how ephemeral icons of the past seem, compared to the cult of celebrity voyeurism today. The bleaching technique Glew uses highlights the tenuousness of life. The faces fade eerily into the fabric as if frozen in time, fleetingly encapsulating their fragility.
Pam Glew’s arresting portraits are sensitive and symbolic- Her work is inspired and inspires, it is pop urban art with a feminine twist!
The show runs from Wednesday 25th May until Sunday 29th May 2010 at Blackall Studios, Shoreditch – Gallery Hours: 10:00am – 18:00pm with late night opening on Thursday 26th May.
