Juxtapoz Magazine – Steve Seeley’s “The Voyeurs” @ All Star Press, Chicago

All Star Press in Chicago presents Steve Seeley’s The Voyeurs, a show that consists of more than 50 new paintings on paper, with 28 of the works are acrylic on vintage nude art magazine pages. Each piece contains Steve’s iconic imagery including appropriated romance comics and nostalgic cartoon characters. There are 6 collaborative works where artists were prompted by the subject: ‘what is being “voyeured” or spied upon’. Seeley worked with six of his favorite local female and/or LGBQT artists to open new interpretations outside of his applied content of the male gaze. These works include: Totes Ferosh, Liz Flores, Paola Seeley, Vivian Le, Isamar Medina and Kate Lynn Lewis.

“The Voyeurs is obviously about voyeurism. Sort of.
I mean, I guess it’s also about the loss of innocence.
Let’s not forget that it’s also about internet memes and the siren song of social media. And it’s about my friends too… and neighbors (and maybe a few strangers).
Oh and it’s also about puns, innuendos and word play.
But for sure, like all my work, it’s about absurdity.

It’s about finding comfort in nostalgia but also confusing that nostalgia with the tongue-in-cheek. It’s about spending the last two plus years trying to find normality. Watching the neighboring world around you shut down and then slowly watching it begin to indulge in being seen again. A brief glance of something… hell, anything… and then watching the blinds quickly close and the lights being shut off. It’s flirting with the idea of flirting one awkward wink at a time.

Best guess? The Voyeurs is about seeing. It’s about watching. And it’s about being seen. (Binoculars not included.)”

—Steve Seeley