The Stained Glass Museum has expanded its collection of contemporary works with recent museum acquisitions. beauty secrets (2017), a stained glass work by Scottish artist Pinky McClure.
This acquisition was made possible thanks to funding from the Arts Fund and Arts Council England/V&A Purchase Grant Fund.
beauty secrets A commentary on the concepts of beauty, body image, and expression in modern society. This work was created in his 2017 year by Pinky McClure (b. 1966), a contemporary Scottish multidisciplinary artist and musician based in Argyll, Scotland.
“The beauty of stained glass allows us to talk about the ugly.” – Pinky McClure
McClure’s work explores a variety of personal and contemporary social issues, including addiction, insomnia, and humanity’s destructive nature in relation to the environment. beauty secrets She talks about contemporary issues such as body image, eating disorders and body dysmorphia, surgical modification, the cosmetics industry, fast fashion, capitalism, and the environment.
beauty secrets (2017) depicts a young woman with blonde hair wearing an ornamental pink dress and purple cloak. Her arms are spread out in a pose that deliberately mimics the image of the Virgin Mary, known as Our Lady of Mercy from Italian Renaissance altarpieces. But this religious icon was transformed by McClure into a modern image of an aggressive victim of the beauty and fashion industry, with Botox needles and a scalpel halo and plastic surgery marks on her torso. It has been converted. The color palette of vibrant bright blues, pinks, yellows and purples is an unusual combination in stained glass, but it was deliberately chosen by the artist to refer not only to the Virgin Mary, but also to the so-called feminine colors.
Around this central image are a young woman shooting a gun in the mirror, a grandmother knitting a Barbie doll, flowers in various stages of blooming, discarded beauty products, and a palm tree, all of which build and express beauty and knowledge. Various images, motifs and slogans related to are arranged. Snails (from which ingredients for some beauty products are obtained). This artwork critiques the beauty industry’s impact on the human body and the environment, and the pressure women sometimes put on themselves and each other.
Jasmine Allen, director of the museum, said: “We are delighted to have been able to acquire this contemporary stained glass work with the generous support of the Arts Fund and the Arts Council/V&A Purchase Grant Scheme.” beauty secrets Continuing the long-standing tradition of storytelling in stained glass, this work is a visually compelling and captivating work that explores themes of beauty, judgment, and self-worth, and invites us to think about a variety of issues. This is a work. This is a great addition to our ever-growing collection. ”
beauty secrets Created for an exhibition held in 2017. glass artwill be held at the National Museum of Scotland in Edinburgh from 6 April to 16 September 2018 and presented in partnership with the National Craft and Design Centre. The work was shortlisted for the John Ruskin Prize and featured in the organization’s Agents of Change. Solo exhibition in Manchester in 2019. beauty secrets It was also exhibited as part of Pinky McClure’s solo exhibition at CCA in Glasgow from 17 June to 9 September 2023.
beauty secrets is currently on display in the main gallery of the Stained Glass Museum in Ely Cathedral. Standard admission to the museum is £6.00 for adults, but guests under 16 are free. Your ticket is an annual pass and is valid for one year from the date of admission. Admission is free for National Arts Pass holders.
Press release from stained glass museum
