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Gillie
and Marc and Wishful Thinking
If you want to live a happy life,
get a dog.
Research has shown that pet ownership –
and dog ownership in particular – leads
to increased happiness, health and well-being.
Inspired by this finding, which only proves
what dog-lovers have known for years, Gillie
and Marc began work on the wishful thinking
series.
Gillie and Marc are fascinated by the things
that give us pleasure, the things that make
us happy, the things that make life worth living.
Their subjects are dogs and cats, friendly smiling
faces, the bright colours and comforting shapes
of furniture and consumer goods. Their art celebrates
the things that make us feel happy, loved and
comfortable.
But the title of the show also hints at darker
meanings: do these handsome dogs, beautiful
people and colourful objects belong to a world
we can only dream of possessing?
Do they represent all the things we wish for
– perfect happiness, unconditional love,
a stress-free lifestyle, a house that doesn’t
need renovating – but can never have?
Gillie and Marc Schattner’s work uses
a colourful and exuberant meshing of figurative
expressionism and Pop Art to explore ideas of
contentment and happiness.
The bold, simple shapes and rich colours and
textures they use in their paintings and sculptures
are a source of simple, positive pleasure, while
also suggesting metaphors for our search for
happiness. |