Stella Vine
17 JULY to 23 SEPTEMBER 2007
Modern Art Oxford is presenting the first major UK exhibition of work
by artist Stella Vine. The exhibition will feature her most controversial
works including the paintings of Princess Diana, 'Hi Paul, can you come
over...' and a portrait of heroin victim Rachel Whitear which were bought
by Charles Saatchi in 2004, propelling Vine into the media spotlight. However,
there is more to Vine than the sensational headlines and through the inclusion
of over 100 paintings from the beginning of her career to the present day,
a more rounded picture of her work will undoubtedly emerge.
Press preview: Monday 16 July, 11am to 1pm. Stella Vine will be available
for interviews at this time.
Memory, nostalgia and fairytales are frequent themes in Vine's work. An
early painting features Snow White in her glass coffin surrounded by menacing
men in top hats, while another, 'Welcome to Norwich...', shows Vine
with her son and the family cat against a vividly perfect blue sky. Her
mother, Ellenor, is a frequent subject, painted from family snapshots, often
including Vine as a young child. Like the glamorous celebrities she is also
drawn to paint, this technicolour version of the past is a form of escape
for Vine, whose childhood was often troubled.
In simple, bold brushstrokes, Vine captures the essence of familiar celebrity
faces. Whether it's the young Elizabeth Taylor, a wide-eyed Pete Doherty,
or reality TV lovebirds Chantelle & Preston, Vine's loose, gestural
style in vivid sweet shop colours gives us a fresh take on glamour and celebrity.
Dripping paint from eyes and mouths on portraits of Kate Moss, Sylvia Plath,
Princess Diana and others, disturbs the glossy paint surfaces, creating
a sense of unease in the viewer and hinting at the inner turmoil of the
subject.
Andrew Nairne, Director, Modern Art Oxford said: "Stella's
work is fresh, bold and original and deserves to reach a wider audience.
Modern Art Oxford has a long tradition of recognising and supporting new
talent. We are delighted to be working with Stella on her first major exhibition."
ENDS
Further Information
www.kallaway.co.uk/modernartoxford.htm
Anna Cusden
Kallaway
020 7221 7883
anna.cusden@kallaway.co.uk
Sara Dewsbery
Modern Art Oxford
Press Officer 01865 813813
sara.dewsbery@modernartoxford.org.uk
NOTES TO EDITORS
Stella Vine - Biography
www.stellavine.com
Stella Vine was born Melissa Robson in 1969 in Alnwick, Northumberland.
Following a difficult relationship with her stepfather, she was briefly
fostered at the age of 13, before leaving school at 14 and becoming pregnant
with her son at the age of 16. In 1983 she joined the National Youth Theatre
of Great Britain and went on to work as an actress in theatres across
the UK, as well as running her own improvised theatre company Minx Productions.
In 1999 Vine studied painting part time at Hampstead School of Art. She
opened the Rosy Wilde gallery in 2003 in a former butchers shop in the
East End to show emerging artists. Around this time, Vine's mother died
suddenly which fuelled a highly creative period during which she made
the first of her paintings of Princess Diana and teenage girls like Rachel
Whitear who suffered tragic deaths. Many of these paintings were destroyed
by Vine soon after they were made.
In 2004 Charles Saatchi purchased one of her paintings of Princess Diana
'Hi Paul, can you come over..' from an exhibition called Girl
on Girl at Transition Gallery. In 2006 she reopened the Rosy Wilde
Gallery, this time in Soho.
Since then her work has been included in many exhibitions both in the
UK and abroad. Solo exhibitions include: Petal, Alon Segev Gallery
(TelAviv) 2004; Petal part two, Roberts & Tilton (Los Angeles)
2005; Stellawood, Hamiltons Gallery (London) 2005; Prozac and
Private Views, Transition Gallery, (London) 2004; Whatever happened
to Melissa Jane?, The Bailliffgate Museum, (Alnwick) 2006.
Group exhibitions include New Blood (Saatchi Gallery) London 2004;
Girl on Girl (Transition) London 2003/4; The Beautiful And The
Damned (Hiscox) London 2005; Chockerfuckingblocked (Jeffrey
Charles Gallery) London 2003, as well as shows in Bejing, Shanghi, New
York, Miami, Detroit. In 2005 Stella was invited to exhibit at the Prague
Biennale.
On 5 May Stella Vine with be taking part in Gender & Culture,
a panel discussion chaired by Germaine Greer at the Women's Arts International
Festival in Kendal, Cumbria (www.womensartsinternational.co.uk).
Modern Art Oxford
Modern Art Oxford is a leading UK gallery for modern and contemporary
art with a national and international reputation. Working with artists
from around the world, Modern Art Oxford's pioneering programme enables
audiences and communities to participate in and engage with contemporary
art. Since its foundation in 1965, the Gallery has exhibited the work
of pioneering artists such as Carl Andre, Jannis Kounellis and Yoko Ono
as well as British artists such as Tracey Emin, the Chapman brothers and
Mike Nelson.
Modern Art Oxford's programme for 2007 includes a new film by South African
artist Moshekwa Langa, while the autumn sees the galleries transformed
with a new atmospheric installation by American artist Trisha Donnelly
alongside exquisitely rendered paintings by Imran Qureshi from Pakistan.
Modern Art Oxford, 30 Pembroke Street, Oxford OX1 1BP, Tel. 01865 722733.
Open Tuesday to Saturday 10am to 5pm, Sunday 12pm to 5pm. Admission Free.
www.modernartoxford.org.uk
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