The work: James Coe, Fulfillment, 2023. Acrylic on canvas, 166 x 178cm.
A wonderful everyday moment of watering with a hose captured as a chilled out moment by the artist, with the use of the figure’s pose, the high-key colour choices, the patterns and the harlequin diamond walls. It’s a moment in time that provides a little holiday for the viewer in its intentional unseriousness. A moment intended to be private for the subject is turned into a dichotomy with the pink two-piece outfit, as if the subject is fully dressed for the viewer’s pleasure.
Anna Curnuck, Gallery Director, SIBU Gallery, Sydney
The colourful rendition of this domestic scene is super cheery. We often look upon moments such as sweeping the pavement or watering the front lawn as “a bit of a chore”, but Fulfillment flips that notion and shows that there is charm to those situations. James Coe’s works are vibrantly expressive, despite the fact they are minimal in their compositions.
Libby Knott, Senior Manager Partner and Clients, Art Money AU/NZ