GILLIAN WEARING LOCKDOWN

16 Sep-1 Nov 2020

Overview

Maureen Paley is pleased to present the seventh solo exhibition by Gillian Wearing at the gallery. Gillian Wearing continues her exploration of identity, fiction, reality and the mask presenting a series of new works on paper, board, sculpture and film. Conceived over the course of the COVID-19 pandemic, the exhibition focuses mainly on works made during the lockdown. Her new watercolour portraits have all been created in this time of self-reflection motivated by isolation. "I was going to begin painting my portrait this year, before COVID-19 took grip of the world and the nation. What surprised me was how the lockdown allowed me to focus in an intense way on a medium I hadn't used for 33 years. Having represented myself in photography both as myself and as others, I wanted to see how paint and even the manner of painting could change my appearance. These new portraits provide a record of my time spent in lockdown and are an exploration of my image depicted in isolated concentration." The mask has fascinated and preoccupied Gillian Wearing in her artistic practice and takes on an even greater significance in her sculpture Mask Masked, 2020, especially now when the proliferation of masks has reshaped our collective identity, day-to-day appearance and reality. The exhibition will also present the latest iteration of Gillian Wearing’s ongoing video work Your Views, 2013 – present. The open submission project is comprised of short filmed sequences from contributors around the world showing their curtains or blinds opening to reveal a view from their window. The extended version shown in this exhibition brings together recent footage made during the global pandemic and subsequent lockdowns. This for many has heightened or altered our relationships with the views we see daily on a newly prolonged basis. Please note our new address: MAUREEN PALEY. 60 Three Colts Lane, London E2 6GQ