What I love about Shaina McCoy is that she paints as if she wants just the maximum amount of paint on each brushstroke. MORE. Which makes the name of her new show at Stems in Brussels, opening on September 7th, so perfect: More About Everything. But what is so fascinating about the "more" here is that Shaina paints the in-between moments of memory, the almost B-sides of life that are ever so significant but can be missed. Really, she paints the life we actually live.
And the fact that she leaves so much paint on her brush, that the faces are rich with texture and depth of surface is powerful. As the gallery notes, "McCoy excels at evocation—it is no wonder she counts Alice Neel, Deena Lawson, and Mary Cassatt among her inspirations. More About Everything oversees the expansion of her powers of suggestion on the level of form, while holding steadfast to the conceptual heart of her practice: celebrating quotidien family life." We often ask for more out of life, whether in private or as a confessional to others. Wanting more is often associated with a weakness or a moment of need. But here, more is just the perfect harmony. —Evan Pricco
