Biography

Melbourne based artist, Meg Cowell- photographs undulating feminine garments in what appears to be a vacuum of infinite space.

Rich in hue and excessive in their skirting, the dresses are handpicked for their unique and romantic character. Through sophisticated direction Cowell creates vignettes of unique gowns, lingerie and couture as they bloom into new forms. Dresses appear flower-like, floating in an abyss. Cowell describes the satisfaction when clothing abandons its inanimate physicality for a sense of agency: “I think an image is successful when it shows metamorphosis. Good images require an imaginative collaboration from the viewer to interpret what they are seeing.”

The second chapter of her ongoing studio project features new work from Cowell. A profusion of flowers crown grinning skulls and isolated single blooms float in a symbolic black void. 

Although Cowell's subjects operate within the realm of fantasy, other, submerged meanings surface via the works association with peak moments in Western arts long romance with death. Specifically, the symbolic power of Dutch vanitas paintings- allegorical still lifes which symbolise the vanity of human desires and the transience of life.