Pen Slaney’s work is rooted in a deep affinity for vintage aesthetics, exploring the visual language of mid-20th century fashion and media, particularly the glamour and stylization of the 1960s and 70s. Drawing inspiration from archival fashion magazines, classic film, and retro television, she reinterprets imagery through a contemporary, painterly lens with a distinctly illustrative style.

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While much of her source material originates in the past, Slaney is equally drawn to contemporary imagery. She collects moments from fashion photography, throw-away snapshots and her own photography - images that evoke the mood and visual sensibility of another era - and uses them as a springboard for transformation. Beginning with a found or photographed image, she deconstructs and rebuilds it, altering composition, palette, and narrative context. Often, she simplifies or stylizes the background in an illustrative manner, creating space for the figure to take center stage. Through layering, abstraction, and subtle shifts in setting, she constructs new scenes that blend nostalgia with invention. Draped fabrics, sculptural accessories, and the softness of vintage photography are recurring motifs, reflecting both a reverence for the past and a desire to recast its stories in a new, vibrant light. Inviting viewers to reconsider the iconography of both past and present from a fresh perspective.