spring is just around the corner and who better to get us in the mood other than the superstar creative selena beaudry. a beautiful mess new paintings, baubles and collages is spread out over three rooms each as marvelous as the last. walking through selena’s exhibition is equivalent to entering into the workings of her mind. everything is connected from her ceiling installation to her collages to the paint piles in plexi boxes. the theme of beauty found in every little scrap, brushstroke and fabric reimagined through thought and manipulation to form a unique vision. that is selena’s world.
“painting is my first love. the languages of paintings are what drives my work the slashes, smears, and blobs are like words or songs for me. cutting up my paintings and drawings allows me to see my marks in a new fresh way. i create my pallets from the blobs, slashes, hatches and smears.”
bauble in plexi box
“a beautiful mess” has many meanings. it is my inspiration, materials, and the process of making. it is a walk to the studio, being late because of traffic, getting caught in the rain and seeing a rainbow. it is entering my studio and seeing paint pallets left over on the floor, using bags of fabric scraps, or cutting up a drawing to discover something new.
all of the work in the show is made through a process of destroying and fixing; remaking until the push/pull creates something that is enticing — challenging me and the viewer. the work questions ideas of beauty, indulgence, and waste.
the first room of the show exhibits new paintings created in reaction to my last two paper installations. they are my walk to work and the frenetic energy of a city: car horn, a snippet of a conversation, or a walk through the park.
the second room is filled with small collaged paintings and sculptures made from remnants of the first room and others’ trash (scraps and left over fabric). they are shiny and delicious — my love song to paint and making.
the third room is an installation of small piles created from scraps of paper and fabric. they are thought bubbles, sounds and words ... a captured moment.
-selena beaudry 2020
don’t miss the wonderful article on selena beaudry in the new issue of southpark magazine out now. click here to read more insider scoop on selena’s creative process and how all the work is intertwined together.
all available work by selena beaudry can be viewed on the artist page of our site under the artist's individual tab. click on the artist image to see all work including sizing and pricing. the opening reception for a beautiful mess is friday, march 6th from 6-8 pm. please call the gallery if you have any further questions.