Maggie Lee persists on her themes of American suburbia (the Northeast Corridor specifically) through a mix of six collages and a short film. The rose tinted shades stay on, and maybe those rose tints come with heart-shape lens flares with a bit of holographic elements. The pieces presented at this show will be familiar to the American. Some works may appear to belong to the cashier running the counter at a Claire’s, who looks up at the mall patrons passing by while feeling the aftereffects of partying a little too hard from the night before.

Maggie Lee, Hearts Mission, 2022, video, edition of 5 plus 2 artist's proofs

Distilled and pasted onto Lee’s canvas and shakily shown in a motion of blur. What can be felt as unencumbered energy here also transitions to something more adult. Spotted colors that poke through trying to grab attention as someone who visits the Big Apple might pick up their first visit. Some emotions blend with classic takes on the New York nightlife as seen in a Barnes and Nobles and picking up one of those heavily editorialized glossy lifestyle magazines. Stuck in line, stuck out by a photographer, or inside with the stuck up, there is voyeurism from the outside and inside with the flash always on.

Perhaps the final question is if Happy brings happiness to the show. It brings happiness to her and invites the viewer a glimpse of many pleasures.

- Daren Ho

Maggie Lee (b. 1987, US) lives and works in New York. A selection of recent exhibitions include: A Maze Zanine, Amaze Zaning, A-Mezzaning, Meza-9, David Zwirner, New York, 2022 (Group); Making a painting, Matthew Marks, Los Angeles, 2022 (Group); The Pratice of Everyday Life, Derosia, New York, 2022 (Group); Scouring, Meredith Rosen, New York, 2022 (Group); Des corps, des écritures, Musée d’art moderne de Paris, 2022 (Group); Trolls Garden Gargoyles, Whitney Museum Of American Art (Public space installation), 2021 ; Vintage Paintings, Jenny’s, New York, 2021 (Solo); Daytime Sparkles, Nordstrom NYC, New York, 2021 (Solo). Her work features in the collections of the Whitney Museum of American Art, New York; Lafayette Anticipations, Paris and Musée d’art moderne de Paris.