Moosey Islington is delighted to announce a solo exhibition by Elena Redmond, opening October 5th in London. Through a multi-layered oil painting practice, Elena Redmond uses self-portraiture to explore themes of privacy, desire, vulnerability, and power. Redmond’s themes are scrutinised by the artist’s investigation of infamous pop culture moments and vitality in the Internet Age. With this approach, she examines her afflictions and affection towards growing up online, questioning predominantly where the body stops and the internet begins. After graduating from the Rhode Island School of Design in 2021, Redmond relocated to Brooklyn, New York where she currently resides.
Boobie Trap takes a deep dive into the realms of online existence and invites viewers to explore the enigmatic world of avatars, personas, and the complex interplay between autonomy and objectification in our digital age. The body of work emerges as a vehicle to explore the multi-faceted sensory experiences of navigating a saturated virtual landscape. Through a dynamic blend of traditional self-portraiture techniques, Redmond crafts avatars that blur the boundaries between human agency and online mimicry. These avatars, at once mirroring ordinary behaviours and challenging societal norms, invite viewers to question their own perception of self within the digital realm.
The exhibition delves into the fascinating psyche of the online voyeur, where women often perceive themselves in a third-person perspective, akin to adopting personas. Redmond masterfully captures the spirit of these dichotomies, portraying both the comfort in witnessing female empowerment and the relentless ferocity that persistently ignores societal expectations.
Central to Boobie Trap is the theme of objectification and autonomy. Through a striking amalgamation of toys, dolls, and digital simulations, Redmond critiques the contrast between the body's behavioural humanity and its psychological emptiness. Her meticulously created avatars, often lacking individual agency, hold a mirror to the viewers' understanding of power dynamics in our digitised lives.
As well, the exhibition offers a nostalgic journey into Redmond's past digital incarnations, invoking usernames and avatars from different eras of online existence. This reflective aspect pays homage to the ever-evolving nature of online personas, while sparking a conversation about the fluidity of identity in the digital age.
Redmond draws inspiration from a wide spectrum of influences for the creation of Boobie Trap, ranging from art history classics like Ingres' Odalisque in Grisaille to contemporary cultural touchstones such as the film "Ex Machina" and Legacy Russel's "Glitch Feminism." By seamlessly blending visual and textual art, Redmond invites viewers to challenge their perceptions, question their avatars, and ponder the uncharted terrain where digital and personal identities converge.
