John Moores 25
This exhibition is being held at the Walker Art Gallery, 20 September 2008 - 9 January 2009
Acrylic on canvas with velvet, 91 x 66 cm,
2007
'Black Farm ll' is one of a series of paintings that depict a community set in the 1970s. I am inspired by Aldous Huxley's description of a utopian society in his book 'Island', and his belief that the key to solving the world's problems lay in changing the individual through mystical enlightenment. My paintings portray a lost society isolated from the outside world. The inhabitants of my invented commune have achieved a form of enlightenment through mental and genetic mutation, as a result of which the power of the individuals and the structure of the society are beyond anything known.
Sista Pratesi was born in Aberdeen in 1966 and
lives and works in London. She studied at the Slade School of Fine Art
London 1992-94. She won an 'Abbey Fellowship' at the British School at
Rome in 2002. Her solo shows include 'Sista Pratesi' Vexed Generation
London 1998, 'Black Christmas' Galleria in Arco Turin 2003 and 'The
Persuaders' Gimpel Fils London 2005. Her group exhibitions include
'Twilight' Gimpel Fils London 2003, 'Pub Crawl' Gallery 39 London 2004, 'Ex
Roma' APT Gallery London 2005, 'Mirror Mirror' Jerwood Gallery London
2007 and 'Weimar Republic' Curtain Road London 2007.