Poolside Reverie (Blue Hour) explores the collective echo of nostalgia and longing through an introspective, poetic and often playful lens. A reverie is a daydream, a trance-like state of being pleasantly lost in thought or a moment suspended between memory and reality. Within this space, melancholy becomes a familiar and shared human experience, evoking a sense of emotional depth difficult to define.

Set within the stillness of empty swimming pools, the work explores ennui and languor — states of listlessness, emotional fatigue, and dreamy inactivity. Positioned within this isolation, anonymous female figures appear lost in thought or playfully passing the time in meditative positions, caught between passivity and presence. Their stillness evokes the familiar image of women waiting for something, or someone, to rescue them from their own ennui. Viewers are invited to identify with the figures due to our collective echo of nostalgia, longing and uncertainty on what to do with our allotment of time.

Through a soft colour palette and contemplative body compositions, the work captures a nuanced emotional landscape of melancholy, tenderness, and reflection. Viewers enjoy the playful positions of these figures while considering the emotional suggestion lying underneath their initial joy.

Ultimately, Poolside Reverie (Blue Hour) encourages viewers to recognise themselves within these figures silently battling the tension between sitting and waiting for something to save them from their melancholy and taking agency over our time.

Bella Strachan, 2026