PEGGY REAVEY

Shelter is thrilled to present a solo exhibition of paintings by Los Angeles-based artist Peggy Reavey.

“Survival, first of all, then desire and longing, but then good girl vs bad girl; I am curious about what people do, so I paint from inside this thicket of judgements.”

Peggy Reavey

The artist, as a child, regarded herself as having two versions; one real, one pretend. The real one was good, pretty, and smart; the pretend one a liar, sneaky and dirty with parents who were also bad. Reavey’s paintings reveal the energy required to expose the “real” self to the external world, and hide the version who does things that the “real” self would disapprove of.

Reavey's work also includes imagery involving her great grandfather Reverend George Vosburgh, Pastor at the Old Bergen church in Jersey City. Reverend Vosburgh poisoned his wife, Harriet, nearly to death and was tried for attempted murder in 1878. He was acquitted, but later found to be guilty and forced to leave town. He married a wealthy woman and moved to Denver, where he led a large congregation.  In the painting “Do Not Eat That”, Reverend Vosburgh wears a halo. In the words of the artist, “Halos are very practical things because you can tell who is expected to be especially good and who is not.”

Tension between desire and virtue are dominant themes within Reavey’s works. Navigating humanity’s destructive and puzzling polarity is central to the artist’s story telling. Amidst these constructs and judgments, a lantern of curiosity guides us through tales of unseen urgency, searching for a glimmer of truth yet leaving the final judgement to the viewer.

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