DARK TALES OF PAST, PRESENT & FUTURE
Recently exhibited as part of
‘In Formation’
Thames Side Studios, London
…I find myself questioning myths and old stories. Those upon which our culture has been based. These inquiries prompt me to create new paintings, by re-imagining such mythological tales from an fictitious position of gender equality.
Above all, my creative practice is a process - one of unlearning embedded cultural stories.
By working with black, I reimagine the emotions and energy within these stories through the movement of colour. For me, the black background acts to intensify the colours hues, tones and saturation. The darkness of Baroque artists is an inspiration as their sense of action is dramatically painted, the picture frames are cropped, creating a theatrical effect. I experience a catharsis when making my paintings, a form of release and a re-imagining.
Dark Tales of Past, Present & Future, 2021
Dark Tales from the Past, Present and Future, is an installation of twelve small paintings recently exhibited as part of a group show through the Turps program.
The installation is influenced by the jewel-like quality of eastern miniature paintings. The work is a growing entity, a work in progress that may become more sculptural as I continue to unpick old stories. My inspiration so far has came from the works of the Baroque Masters, Artemisia Gentileschi and Elisabetta Sirani, alongside that of contemporary women artists such as Paula Rego and Alice Maher.
Dark Tales of Past, Present & Future (detail), 2021
As a child my favourite book was 1,001 Arabian nights. I had a beautifully illustrated edition filled with sad, enchanting and often, dead heroines. Recently, I have recognised that these stories, and most European fairy tales, are not contained to the world of our imaginative subconsciousness, but in fact are a reality, like a series of everyday horror stories.
Sometimes, I feel that we are living in a dark dream, a nightmare. I imagine the women from past stories as active heroines, who will stop at nothing to save or avenge themselves. This is my way of re-aligning the power struggle in our world.
I am increasingly interested in how time fits into this narrative. I am fascinated by the idea that time is a non- linear entity. That the past remains with us and that it effects how we manifest the future, and so my work owes deep gratitude to feminist writers of all genres and epochs.
Dark Tales of Past, Present & Future (detail), 2021
DARK TALES FROM PAST, PRESENT & FUTURE, gouache and watercolour on watercolour paper, framed , 2019
AN INSTALLATION OF 12 PAINTINGS, approx. 120cm (H) x 160(w)
For Sale.