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Exhibition Overview
"Slick streets,
shadowed corners, and moody atmosphere resonate through the
works of Shirley Mackey. Her snippets of ‘film-noire’ harken
back to turn of the 20th century cities and streets.
That may seem a
bit strange for a Florida artist who has been practicing her
craft since 1984. Mackey admits that one of the first
paintings to really ‘speak to her’ was John Sloan’s Wake of
the Ferry, 1907. It is a dark, almost monochromatic,
depiction of a lonely person watching the froth trailing the
ferry from a cantilevered deck. There is a heightened mood
of melancholy to the painting. It is a painting that belongs
in the Ashcan School of American painting. This pejorative
title was given to the group of realist painters who often
chose subject matter that was less than attractive – slums,
tenements, crowded train platforms – at least to the
critics. They were the initiators of American realism at the
turn of the 20th century, led by Robert Henri, and included
Arthur Davies, William Glackens, Ernest Lawson, George Luks,
Maurice Prendergast, Evert Shinn, and John Sloan.
These artists,
as well as black and white, current and archival photographs
seem to be a constant inspiration for Mackey’s atmospheric
paintings. She captures not only another age but also the
dichotomy of light and shadow. The slippery reflections in
puddles, the moody haze over a country dell, and even the
claustrophobic crowding of shops entice the viewer to read
the story there. Is it romantic melancholy or the isolation
and loneliness of city life that is the underlying premise
here?
This Florida
artist received her initial instruction from Barbara Bassett
of Winter Park who inspired Mackey to follow her own
drummer. If Mackey was more interested in shadow and
ambiance, rather than the dynamics of Florida light, so be
it. Bassett still critiques her works in the traditional
academic way of French master artists, like Gerome and Glyre
of the 19th century. Mackey also has taken advantage of
visiting museums and researching the works of master artists
for inspiration. She inherently knows when a composition is
working and only continues when she feels that emotional
attachment to her painting.
Emotional
attachment or engagement is an underlying theme to her
works. Viewers are pulled in, encouraged to examine the
shadows for details and nuances. Likewise, the repetition of
lights in puddles or the multiplicity of bobbing umbrellas
reminds the visitor of rhythms of life. The dark details,
like film-noire, implying mystery and intrigue, never imply
disaster as much as introspection. There is no protagonist
or antagonist. Rather there is a sense of a well-dressed
movie set, composed for the viewer alone, to allow his
imagination to run free.
Shirley Mackey
has created a world of suggestion, mystery and reflected
light. She has invited all to come and enjoy the intrigue.
It can be whatever the viewer makes of it. It is an
atmospheric sojourn from the bright, frenzied light of
Central Florida."
Jan Clanton
Orlando Museum of Art
Mayor's Gallery
hours:
Monday
– Friday 8:00 am to 5:00 pm
Closed Major Holidays
Orlando City Hall
400 South Orange Avenue
Orlando, Florida
Phone: 407 246 4279
About The Artist:
Shirley Mackey
started painting in 1984 in classes taught by Barbara
Bassett of Maitland, FL. Her works have been on display at
First Union Bank, Interlachen Country Club and Frames
Forever and Art Gallery, all in Winter Park. Her works are
in many private local and national collections.
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