Jess Allen’s first solo exhibition with Unit considers space, time and the inevitable transformation of present into past. This Is Now captures a series of fleeting moments in which shadows and figures overlap to represent the ephemeral and indistinct. The exhibition presents a series of paintings in which details are kept to a minimum. These are not portraits but are suggestions of presence, representative of feelings and moods. As vehicles to transmit her musings on time, Allen’s paintings become methods to “extend” the current moment for both artist and viewer. As such, This Is Now explores the ways in which imagery can trigger memories both specific and universal, rendering past as present.
