Memories of Happiness and Comfort.Pictures are capable of promoting thoughts and triggering memories of past events, objects and sensations and a picture can trigger a previously forgotten moment much more quickly than words. People are able to encode pictures and store information containing specific visual qualities in the brain. Events that cannot easily be recalled can be remembered when shown a picture.
The artists featured in the exhibition Memories of Happiness and Comfort are Yayoi Kusama, Jeff Koons and Wayne Thiebaud. The work of these artists has been selected because of its association with memories, memories of happiness, celebratory moments and the comfort of familiarity. The works here have been chosen for their sense of wonder, comfort and illusion with many conveying a dreamlike, nostalgic quality reminiscent of childhood experiences.
All three artists have a range of themes running through their work which, although unique to their practices, are connected through concepts and ideas relating to celebration, delight, wonder and the experience of the beholder. The artists draw upon their relationships, connections and memories of family background and nostalgic surroundings.
Seren Haf Davies-Williams is an artist, focussing on home life, family and the food that we eat and share together and includes large scale paintings on white board showing detailed images of tea and cakes and food in an illustrative style.
The Mostyn gallery in Llandudno has been chosen for its size and location in Llandudno to suit these works .The building is a cross between the old and modern and each of the artists’ works are contained within a minimalist white singular separate room. The artworks presented draw upon a broad and contrasting range of approaches to creating artwork; sculpture, painting, and installation. Kusama's work is based on the patterns and repetition and inspired by her childhood whilst Jeff Koons’ work focuses on celebrations such as children’s parties and the cakes painted by Wayne Thiebaud suggest afternoon tea and birthday cakes, creating happy feelings.
