SUMMER HORSES – October 2015
Amuri Gallery, Hanmer Springs
The Summer Horse series developed over a couple of years and combined drawing the figure with painting. The use of board as a firm surface enhanced the technique of scumbling, in which the brush is deliberately pushed into the board, producing a unique texture, highlighting the layers beneath.
In searching for the form of the horse the line is found rather than depicted. The line is not a continuous ribbon but rather comes in and out of existence, being formed from an aggregate of layers below and above, from spaces within and without.
This manner of working inherently involves an investigation into the figure and ground dynamic where the ground is as important as the figure. It is the gestalt; the whole is more than the sum of its parts; line, ground, figure, form, space, colour, texture – all move together.