Lydia Blakeley saturates snapshots of hyper-reality into paintings that reflect the present, and utilizes the medium as a response to popular culture. Born in Berkshire, UK and currently based in North Yorkshire, UK, the artist attempts to introduce new layers of meaning through the painting process, and to reinforce the permanence of the image within an increasingly dematerialized world. She received her MFA from Goldsmiths, University of London, and has presented solo exhibitions at Blank_ Gallery, Steve Turner Gallery and Niru Ratnam Gallery.
Reflections 3 (Chonky) is inspired by an image that Blakeley sourced on social media, where there was a recent, pandemic-era trend of memes depicting cats staring into mirrors. The artist found the subject to be endearing, especially as a response to the domestic isolation and reflective contemplation that lockdowns brought forth over the past two years. These images of animals provided a sense of escapism from the otherwise bleak posts that conveyed the state of the disheveled world at large, in turn projecting a dichotomy between the simultaneous streams of innocent content and sociopolitical information.
Of this series, Blakeley notes, “I am so excited to be supporting Little Wanderers! I am a cat lover, and have adopted two rescue cats here in the UK—they bring me so much joy! It’s so lovely that the organization's volunteers help all cats in the city, even the ones that might normally be overlooked due to their age or the injuries they've sustained. Little Wanderers do amazing work and I am so happy to be supporting the work they do, rescuing and rehabilitating the neediest cats in NYC.”
ART FOR CHANGE will donate a portion of proceeds from each print sold to Little Wanderers NYC to help fulfill the rescue group’s mission to save cats who would otherwise be overlooked—with an emphasis on the city’s most underserved areas. As in all series, artists will receive 50% of the net proceeds of print sales.
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*Unframed prints ship within 1-3 weeks.
*Framed prints ship within 2-4 weeks.
