9th June to 2nd July 2000

Josie McCoy is a MA graduate from St Martin's. Her paintings are in the BBC and in private collections. Her work was shown in 1999 in Artfutures at the Royal Festival Hall and is included in the BP Portrait Awards 2000 at the National Portrait Gallery

Large paintings capture the characters of the TV soap EastEnders close up, in the most melodramatic and poignant moments. They become powerful icons which in the gallery interact with one another and create a dynamic that does not fail to engage the viewer; the characters take over the space, their gaze suggesting possible dramatic scenarios and new storylines.
The viewer develops a complex relationship with the work:

"The basis of my work relates to a viewer's engagement with a recognisable image seen out of context. I am interested in what a viewer brings with them when they look at a painting, be it in terms of memory or reference, and how this affects the way they look at it"
Josie McCoy, May 2000

Painted from photographs of television close-ups, the familiarity of the EastEnders characters is retained while the images are simpliflied and idealised. Their green hue references both the luminosity of the screen and the traditional techniques of tempera painting. It creates an imperceptible movement which captures the emotion.

The show was reviewed on BBC London Live, BBC Choice, LBC NewsDirect and the Hackney Gazette.