The Vegas Gallery Presents Gemma Nelson's First London Solo Show

Written by Stephanie Rowntree Tuesday, 20 March 2012 21:05

London.- The Vegas Gallery is delighted to present "Hello Carousel", the first London solo show of Young British artist Gemma Nelson. Since graduating the Slade School Of Fine Art in 2007, Nelson has received high acclaim. She was flagged as one of the most promising graduates of her year when featuring in the 2008 Bloomberg New Contemporaries Exhibition and since then has gone to be shortlisted for Four New Sensations by the Saatchi Gallery and nominated as a finalist for the Nationwide Mercury Art Prize. "Gemma Nelson: Hello Carousel" is on view at the gallery from July 15th through August 13th.

Working in Indian inks and employing a range of mixed media such as sequins, Nelson dares to cross the taboo boundaries between craft and fine art, using thread and hair as paint to stitch into work and weaving cellular shapes into a complex tapestry. The canvases of vivid colour and patterns incorporate hidden imagery to create intricate layers of organic mythological creatures and landscapes in response to various themes such as female sexuality, fairytales and notions of webbing and nets. "Hello Carousel", sees Nelson further explore these techniques to create a fairground of works with crumbling roller coasters, abandoned helter skelters and carousels.


The signature extrovert patterns sprawl organically across clean white backdrops holding an almost child like sense of play and naivety, but within these colourful fragments is a definite undercurrent of psychedelic discord. The distorted structures rise, the cells of colour bubbling and multiplying, only to keel over and collapse. Nelson using her distinctive method makes the works feel kinetic, growing and receding across the gallery walls.

Vegas Gallery, originally a project space created in 2007, is a contemporary art gallery situated in the heart of East London that showcases current works by international artists. Given the histories of the gallery’s initiators, the programme has been strongly oriented toward the promotion of Dutch artists’ work through specific projects. However, since its evolution into a representing gallery, Vegas now focuses on solo presentations and represents a roster of International artists and collaborates with foreign galleries to present a considered platform. Visit the gallery's website at ... http://www.vegasgallery.co.uk

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