Colleen Kiely's solo exhibition of paintings "This Ain't No Party, This Ain't No Disco" is on view at Steven Zevitas Gallery in Boston through March 25, 2021 with an opening reception March 5, 5:30-8 (masks/limited entry/etc.) In this new body of work, Kiely creates fictional portraits that synthesize imagination, found images, and a multitude of art historical sources to explore the fluidity of identity and time. Dressed in patterned clothing and set against a monochromatic field, the larger-than-life figures gaze at something, or someone, just outside the frame. Although each figure stands resolutely alone, collectively, they form a community.
The exhibition’s title, "This Ain't No Party, This Ain't No Disco", references a refrain in the Talking Heads’ song “Life During Wartime”, from the 1979 album Fear of Music. This album was a touchstone for Kiely during her formative years as an artist and it continues to speak to our current cultural moment—where isolation breeds a heightened emotional awareness, as we turn to new ways to connect. In the artist’s words: “In a time of individual and collective loss, daily life goes on and we navigate our way – slowly maybe, but we keep moving. This body of work is rooted in my love of painting, loss of loved ones, and curiosity about people’s inner lives.”
