GIVE ME SPACE

solo show

Maya Rochat challenges the notion of traditional photography by playing with invented chemical processes, surprise layers and daring installations which refuse to conform to the confines of the gallery wall. Seen Fifteen is delighted to welcome Maya Rochat to Peckham to take over our space with a solo exhibition, opening on Thursday 1st December 2016.

The title Give Me Space is symbolic of the artist’s frustration with the accepted boundaries of photography. Chance encounters with process and materials have been at the heart of Rochat’s work since the beginning, and the result is a bold signature style. She creates a stunningly fluid world, where digital interventions intersect upon analogue images, and textures melt into one another. With each layered image she challenges us to look again. Deceptively abstract images contain multiple storylines where, upon second glance, a hidden figure might haunt
a faded landscape deep in the background.

“There are no rules in my process. I use bleach, glue, soap and paint. The use of strong colours and loud patterns is an effective way to capture the viewers’ attention and push them towards visual saturation. I find it interesting to see how the eye reacts to different techniques overlapping each other, and want to create something that is only truly readable in the physical, analogue world.”

As Rochat’s practice has evolved, the hand of the artist and the role of her own physical presence have gained increasing importance. Give Me Space will feature works that cross effortlessly between the disciplines of photography, performance and painting. The opening party on Thursday 1st December will feature live painting and performance set to a soundtrack.

This exhibition is kindly supported by the City of Lausanne.

curated by Vivienne Gamble

Finissage live with Buvette 22.01.2017