Private view: Thursday September 14th 2006, 6:00 to 8:30 PM
Performance at 7:30 PM

The exhibition will remain open until Saturday November 4th, 2006.
Gallery hours: Tuesday to Saturday, 10:00 AM to 6:00 PM

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Blow de la Barra is pleased to announce an exhibition of new paintings by Jo Robertson.

Jo Robertson’s paintings combine musical and literary references with vibrant surfaces that depict intriguing figures, trapped within imaginary landscapes and hazy backgrounds. Her fluid oil technique, often sketchy and unfinished, captures a young flesh fixed permanently in time and space. Robertson’s work arises from intuition and her chaotic compositions reveal minor psychodramas populated by romantic allusions and contemporary cultural pastiches, while providing perfect scenarios for her melodic performances.

Music and painting are integral to Robertson’s practice, thus it is not surprising that her first solo show at Blow de la Barra, Severin, takes its title from the character of the Velvet Underground’s song Venus in Furs, based on the homonymous novel by Leopold von Sacher – Masoch. Severin, the obsessive main character of the novel, begs to be treated as a slave by his most precious lover, Wanda. Humiliated and degraded, he describes his feelings during these experiences as suprasensuality.

Against such a highly erotic background, Robertson presents a new series of six large canvases depicting isolated young women suspended in the turmoil of violent backgrounds. These women are portrayed in different attitudes, often hiding their faces from the viewer as in Bats & Holes Together or You Can’t Hide Behind Your Hair Forever; while others expose their bodies in more sexually explicit attitudes, as in Habitual Readers. Robertson battles against the canvas’ surface as her characters confront different women clichés and archetypes. Through the seemingly innocent trace of her brush strokes, colour and texture emerge loaded with sensuality. Strike, dear mistress, and cure our hearts.

On the opening night, Jo Robertson will perform an improvised vocal duet, accompanied by noise guitar and drummer.

Jo Robertson was born in Manchester in 1979. She lives and works in London and recently completed her postgraduate studies at the Slade School of Fine Art. As a member of Blood ‘n’ Feathers she was nominated to Beck’s Futures 2006 and has exhibited broadly in the UK. Severin is her first solo show. Additional works are available for view in the office.