MacPhee magnifies the small things of our daily existence. Working with clay, she has created a collection of still-life objects with a fresh perspective. These include fruits, flowers and other natural shapes that we recognise, but are altered in some way. They grow, twist, wilt and multiply to reveal an alternative expression of their truth. There is also a subtle humour in their reimagining, as if to share a whimsical thought with the viewer.
In her installation at the British Art Fair, MacPhee has produced an arrangement of flower vases, thrown, sculpted, painted and glazed. They evoke the ‘Dutch flower painting’ of the 17th century. The flowers appear to grow out of the uppermost part of the vase while they are contained by a painted rim of a vase at the base, a vase within a vase. Playing with perception further, the pieces are reflected on flat painted clay ‘mirrors’ hanging on the wall behind.
MacPhee’s work moves continuously between the 2D and 3D world and our conviction in, and sense of both, the real and the unreal. She also presents her miniature ceramic tile paintings, where the clay serves as the ‘paint’, the ‘canvas’, and the frame. These hold tender moments from her everyday life.