I first saw Maisie Broadhead’s work at her debut solo exhibition out of art school at Sarah Myerscough Gallery in Mayfair. An exhibition at the same gallery is now taking place, and her work is also being exhibited at the National Gallery and the Design Museum in London.

Exquisitely photographed, the lighting, composition, and attention to detail are superb.  She has recreated the works of old masters – Vermeer, Valasquez, Hogarth – given the models a gender twist and dressed them in contemporary clothes. The richness of the imagery is the first thing one sees; a second look reveals the rather outrageous humour of a coke bottle with a brightly coloured straw, or the plucked eyebrow of a man where a voluptuous maiden would otherwise have been. The trick is played further as one initially perceives a painting; a much closer inspection reveals a beautifully orchestrated photograph.

Which Weigh to Go, 2009. Digital C-Type Print, Edition of 10, 42.5 x 38 cm

She Pulled my Heir, 2008. Digital C-Type Print, Edition of 10, 62 x 75 cm

Nipple Pinch, 2009. C-Type Print, 125 x 96 cm

Keep Them  Sweet, 2010. Digital C-Type Print, 145cm x 106cm and 75cm x 55cm

I adore these works, but I can’t help feeling that the titles could be a little more provocative, seductive even, and add to the game of charades.

I would be happy with any one of these photographs on my wall. What do you think, could you live with a Maisie Broadhead?

Rose Tinted Monocle, 15 Nov 2012 – 19 Jan 2013 Sarah Myerscough Gallery