CHELSIE KIRKEY - TO REMEMBER AT MIDNIGHT

“Quite simply, I was in love with New York.

I do not mean “love” in any colloquial way,

I mean that I was in love with the city,

the way you love the first person

who ever touches you

and you never love anyone

quite that way again.” - Joan Didion

In this latest body of work, Chelsie Kirkey explores her affectionate connection to home and the anxiety-filled moments that often arise late at night. The home is more than just a structure for protection or a tangible house - the home is Kirkey’s city; a group of friends; an amalgamation of experiences bound by time and place. To Remember at Midnight identifies the uneasy feelings that emerge when the day starts to end, and the dark draws in. To combat this frame of mind, Kirkey finds solace in her practice and the soothing memories that can be recreated in painting. Life is tumultuous and city living operates at a dizzying pace. Kirkey offers viewers refuge in astute and joyful observations. 

Here are mundane moments that would otherwise go unnoticed and soulfully recalibrated in a reassuring forum. There is a sense of gratitude for the things, people, and greater elements of Kirkey's world that are all rendered in photorealistic technique. The snapshot quality of her imagery is suggestive of the transitory nature of living: how quickly time passes and how fleeting moments have the potential to hold such significance in our memories. Since Kirkey moved to Brooklyn four years ago, she was able to find a sense of peace and belonging. This affection for New York shines throughout her work. Furthermore, Kirkey embeds elements of joviality into her approach with simple quiet moments infused with discerning introspection.