Stars and Criminals
VTO Gallery
96 Teesdale street,
London, E2 6PU

19 January - 10 February 2002

Being 'famous' in our postpop era has become more important than why some people are famous for. Eva has painted groups of portraits that present stars and criminals seen in newspapers and TV. These are not recognisable but maybe familiar, ghostly faces which simulate the low res quality of mass produced images. In our hyperaccelerated culture faces we are supposed to love or hate dilute one into another. Postures and close-ups fascinate us more than deliver information about the person portrayed. The short life and sequence of the diverse images of celebrities we are being bombarded with make us desire them, be suspicious of them and adore their glazed smiles and glances. Eva paints photorealistic portraits and then washes them off. She plays with reflections and distortions to create illusions. Included are also dotted drawings that are mirrored against a reflective backdrop. They stare at the viewer in their pixelated gesture and face us decomposed in RGB three colour composition. Entering the gallery we see a self portrait of the artist in the ambiguous role of a star or a criminal. It is a close up of her left eye frightening and over-proportioned.