Surveyor : The Role of the Mirror in the Work of Dominique Rey

"Selling Venus / Vénus au miroir presents a portrait of exotic dancers, and of the artist herself taking on the role of a stripper, at the Crazy Horse dance club in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. From the intimacy of their dressing room, Rey documents the performative process of self-transformation into “working women”. She uncovers illusions and stereotypes about a subculture of women in extreme feminine roles and in doing so reopens the debate on the exploitation of women in oppressive environments. A video installation in the exhibition further extends the duality between the private person and the public mask, bringing into play notions of physical beauty, narcissism, and the passage to self-acceptance." -- Publisher's website

Shaan Syed : Crowds and Constellations

"Painting has too often been dismissed by the critical voices of postmodernism as incapable of meaningful, contemporary expression. The practice of Shaan Syed demonstrates the folly of such an oversight; painting in a rich, fluid and deeply meditative manner that has shown remarkable development over the past five years. This monograph contextualizes Syed's work within artistic and socio-cultural discourses, aided by the in-depth analysis Steven Matijcio provides in the selection of painting and the essay printed here." -- p.