I could see she was in a brown study - 2026

Montsalvat Art Gallery

7 Hillcrest Ave. Eltham, Melbourne

I could see she was in a brown study, is an exhibition of experimental paintings that was born from quiet reflective studio time. The paintings are made with left over materials sourced from the studio floor and mess piles such as dirty and stained rags and left over blobs of oil paint. With this work I am constructing objects and artefacts that result from momentary actions. 
The rag in itself is worthless but also extremely useful. Used and tossed away, the purpose of the rag is to absorb and absolve, removing our mistakes and messes. Once things are cleaned up, we go forward with our day but these messes still exist, they are just bundled up and taken away.
Sitting quietly in the studio often leads to mind wanderings and reflecting on old memories or past struggles, sometimes it is easier to wipe all traces of their existence, put them on the rag pile and move on, but as my mountain of rags has grown too large and threatens to swallow me whole, it must be reckoning time. So, I am metaphorically unravelling each rag and examining it. A tedious but important process. In the end what may appear as an abstract idea about moving forward turns into a map to navigate my way there.