Paul Vyse was a graphic designer until four years ago when, after the advent of the recession, he was abruptly made redundant from his job. Finding himself suddenly with time at his disposal, he could devote himself to his original passion of art. And now he’s launched his first Central London exhibition ‘Caught Unaware’ in Soho gallery the Reading Room.
‘Caught Unaware’ is a series of images painted from photos Vyse has taken of strangers in the city of London, on his phone. On the tube, waiting for a bus, having a cigarette outside a bar, sheltering from the rain with a drink, these are arresting, eye-catching snapshots of the modern city at large. The use of shading and colour makes particular aspects of a painting stand out from the darker background, meaning that an image you wouldn’t possibly pay much attention to in photo form on Facebook really demands your attention to look at and examine its actuality.
And the most intriguing aspect of each image included in Vyse’s exhibition is that, in the majority of them, his subjects are holding phones. Whether taking photos, staring at the screen or texting, it illustrates in an artistic medium of tangible paint and paper how far virtual technology has infiltrated our lives. Via the expression of Vyse’s vision, here in the gallery we witness how constant communication, photographing and online visibility sometimes make us blind to our own immediate surroundings.
But that’s just one reading of the images, and that’s not to say all angles must be pessimistic. In all, they provide a fascinating cross-section of contemporary society and how we live our lives. If you have a chance, I would advise to catch this interesting show before it finishes in Soho.
PAUL VYSE: ‘CAUGHT UNAWARE’
• Reading Room Gallery, 65-66 Frith Street, Soho, W1D 3JR
• Running until 7th February, 2014 (Mon-Fri, 9am-6pm).
