FVU's 2015 commission Feed Me features in this solo exhibition of Rachel Maclean's work. Feed Me is a parable of the pleasures and perils of indulgence, and a wicked, waspish skit on a world where greed is good, and it’s OK to give in to every temptation and whim. Extravagance and excess, those seductive ugly sisters – whispering to the avarice in our soul, always eager to tickle the sweet spot of the contemporary cultural palate – are, one can hardly fail to notice, also signature features of Maclean’s artistic palette; evident in her obvious love of dressing up and in the multi-layered digital confections with which she drapes and decorates her work.
Rachel Maclean, born in Scotland in 1987, is an artist who creates powerful visual narratives in which she takes on the roles of various figures, dressed in outlandish costumes. In the dazzlingly colourful walk-through exhibition that she has developed for the Kunsthalle zu Kiel, the Glasgow-based artist applies razor-sharp humour to current topics such as: the rise of nationalism, the significance of feminism, the roles of femininity and childishness, and the omnipresence of cuteness. Rachel Maclean’s distinctive works, which she creates using digital video, virtual reality and photo technology, combine humour and horror. Pop culture, art history and YouTube are among her sources of inspiration.