amanda knight | ||||
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This year my paintings have shifted to a more abstract level, particularly, I believe, through the more considered use of colour. I suggest this tentatively, but what I am seeing emerge is a construct of colour blocks which appear to carve the subject from their midst. The subject is formed of, and held by its surroundings, locked into the spatial illusions of the image. By contrast, areas of direct painting pull the eye in from the opposite direction. And so a cycle of tension and interest begins. The flowers are important to me of course, in my life flowers have always symbolised authenticity and renewal, and so I find them a viable subject. In another respect flowers are colourful and highly varied structures which can be pushed and pulled into forms that work hard within the pictorial space. I always start by working from life, taking as much as I can from the original encounter. Passages of my imagery may be anchored in careful observation, only to give way to areas of expressive painting that seek to interpret rather than describe. As the work progresses I refer more to memory or to the canvas itself as a means of reducing the image. The challenge is in recognising when enough work is done and the work lives, yet remains open-ended. Amanda Knight 2010 |
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