Cocktail, the exhibition
by Jackie Tran Van
Myah Flynn is her name, and it’s one to remember.
The emerging artist held her first solo exhibition on Tuesday night at the McPherson Gallery.
The exhibition is the result of her first placing in the Glaister Ennor Graduate Art Awards in which she was awarded the chance to exhibit at the High Street gallery.
The works were breathtaking.
Large, bright swirls of colour that jumped out from the canvas, subtle characters worked into the scenes with precision. All the works are acrylic on canvas and it is the large ones that draw you in the most.
I loved Opium Carousel, a deep red 197×150cm work that depicts a scene of filled with horses and characters amongst a dreamy backdrop. But this wasn’t the only piece I enjoyed, there were plenty more.
The artist’s favourite in the collection was a piece called Kir Royale, another dreamy, pillowy piece of blues and reds that features different fish swimming all over the canvas.
Creating the works averaged about a week per painting. Three of them were worked on simultaneously, which took three weeks altogether. Myah says she has a “recurring interest in concepts that defy knowledge-based comprehension, like erotic desire”.
There was plenty of comment about the collection on the night, all of it positive.
“An orgasm of colour” and “a youthful expression of colour” were interesting quotes that highlighted one of the trends the works expressed.
One gallery-goer (I’d say a regular on the circuit) commented that Myah “could go darker with confidence as all the imagery is there”. Deep.
I was there supporting a friend but got much more than I bargained for with these works of colour that push the boundaries of reality and fantasy.
Pics should be going up on the gallery website soon, but the exhibition is on until October 20 and I thoroughly recommend checking it out.