My visit: June 2023.
Cost: Free !
What was it?
A solo exhibition by visual artist Maisie Cousins at TJ Boulting gallery in Fitzrovia, London. It was a mix of large scale prints, smaller framed images and sculpture. One section of the exhibition Cousin’s had used AI to create a series of old photographs she had lost from a family seaside trip. They were quite unsettling and eerie but it was really engaging to see her work in a new way managing to keep some of her nostalgic and kitsch style.
Why it mattered?
I studied Cousin’s work during my A-levels and was fascinated by her tactile pictures, interesting close-ups and crops which combine the grotesque and beautiful. I often came across her work on Pinterest so it was special to see them in the flesh. They were even for sale at TJ Boulting though sadly out of my price range.
My takeaway:
Maisie is so good at honing in on mundane details and making them appear beautiful in the compositions she creates. Lots of her work feels nostalgic as the objects, food, textures and patterns are so familiar from a certain period of time or place. When honing in on mundane with the kitsch or tacky it feels like she is observing everyday things in such a careful and considered way but with a messy yet always clearly defined aesthetic.
Vibe:
Really enjoyed the combination of AI in her work and bringing the AI generated images to life through sculpture. Love her reference to cheap tacky childish objects like beads, stickers, pink plastic hair combs making them feel weirdly profound. Overall I bloody loved it !!!!
