with september’s arrival we usher in our first exhibition for the fall season and are thrilled to have the whole gallery filled with the work of our dear friend and artist selena beaudry. selena has worked for almost two years in her london studio to complete drawings and collages for the new exhibition. we have medium and large size collages that she is well known for along with large scale drawings. we decided to intersperse her drawings among the collages to exhibit how intertwined selena’s different mediums are to each other. when we think of her work we immediately think of her lines and mark making. they are interwoven, thatched, curved and layered together to form her own personal pathways. her collaging weaves together singular pieces of cut out paper and linen into shapes uniquely created by selena’s hands. her creations vibrate and pulse with energy through undulating, woven threads. we have been drawn to her work ever since the first time we laid eyes on her intimate collages. it has been our absolute pleasure to watch selena evolve and change over the years. we hope you feel as mesmerised as we do when viewing her incredible work.
selena beaudry lives and works in london and received her mfa from tyler school of art in philadelphia, pennsylvania. her work consist of PILES™, cut out collages and oil paintings. the focus of her paintings is color through loose gestural brushstrokes. her PILES™ and cut out collages are intricate, delicate and precise as they weave across the paper.
selena beaudry in her london studio
“all of my work is created by a series of marks or perhaps the lack of marks. at some point along the way i began to cut up drawings. cutting up my work led to a rediscovery of my visual language. it brought up questions in my studio practice. what is a mark and what can i do with it? how can i push these marks in new and different directions? through this formal exercise i created three bodies of work — PILES™ collages, collages (cutout) and paintings.
the PILES™ collages are thoughts, a series of words or sounds. sometimes it’s a scream, other times babble or a screech. the collages (cutout) are more lyrical. they string together and flutter and dance across the page. some are tougher, zigging and zagging across the page bumping and bouncing into one another. the paintings begin by tracing parts of the collages (cutout), allowing me to indulge in my love of paint. they combine the dance with the babbles and the screams. each of the pieces begins to take on its own essence or story. a piece can be about a foggy day, a woman with smeared lipstick on her face, or eating so much you might throw up.
color has always been central to my work and i use it in a number of ways. it can be personal, from a memory or used as a tool like punctuating a sentence. the color shifts subtly as well as dramatically creating a sense of play in my work.
in the end, all of the work has been inspired by my surroundings, adventures and encounters and is a reflection of my ideas of beauty, indulgence, seduction and frivolity.”
all available new work by selena beaudry can be viewed on our website under their individual tabs including sizing + pricing. hidell brooks gallery is by appointment. please call the gallery if you have any further questions.