Frozen Lakes 2007 - 2008
exhibited at Distracted,
320 Oxford St, Leederville, WA
2 - 30 August 2008
Frozen Lakes 2007-2008
My paintings for the last five years have been exploring the nature of water as a metaphorical element and a site. These paintings started in my studio at the Banff Centre for the Arts during a wonderful six week international artists residency called 'Imaginary Places', in June 2007. On my return to Australia I continued working on them at a three month studio residency at Guildford Grammar School in the heat of a Perth summer!
They were exhibited at Distracted, 320 Oxford St, Leederville, WA, 2 - 30 August 2008
Once again I took as a starting point the idea and action of looking under the surface of water bodies, in this case the frozen lakes of Banff, in Canada's Snowy Mountains.
I am fascinated by the historical and social memories contained in these sites including scientific explorations and written and oral stories. I work with the paint itself (oil) to create layers of transparent colour, areas of light and dark and areas of illumination.
My paintings are about ideas of immersion, desire and apprehension. I want my work to encourage the viewer to identify on a bodily or sensorial level. I want people to imagine or remember the experience of being in the space of water. The metaphor water provides for me corresponds to the deepest personal relationship to emotions, the body and life. We may not know what is coming but we are drawn on.
Madrid Books series
On the way home from the frozen lakes of Canada I stopped off in sunny Madrid. Here I discovered a bookshop, which restored old and rare Spanish books. I became friends with the men in the Jesus Cortes bookshop who kindly saved old book covers from the rubbish for me. These became the basis of the Madrid Book series. A strange mixture of images!
I enjoyed the street names in Banff. All were named after local animals. Bear Street was my favourite!