Coward

MAMOTH is delighted to present 'Coward', Brittany Shepherd’s (b. 1988) second solo exhibition with the gallery, on view from 15 May to 28 June.

In 'Coward', Shepherd presents a new collection of oil paintings, rendered in her distinctive photo-realist style with vibrant pops of colour. Objects and compositions taken from her library of internet research often consider warp or document snapshots of fetish and niche esoteric practices, which Shepherd isolates to make both alluring and uncanny. Themes of masking and hiding mimic the role of the artist here in an interplay of exposure and vulnerability, further underpinned by the presence of a semi-autobiographical text written by Shepherd for the exhibition.

The distinct visual and haptic quality of the works spans latex, metal, underwear and PVC, represented as binding and wrapping of the body or face. The collection points to the erotic gaze, entering into a semiotic dance of signals and signifiers for fantasy and desire, offering and withholding at the same time.