Immaterial

Body parts floating in a watery soup could be subject matter for macabre or grotesque pictures, but these paintings are clearly striving for almost the opposite effect. The feet are bathed in light, the hands are gentle and floating. The associations evoked are poetic and metaphysical rather than horrific.

“Immaterial” is a collection of new paintings by Caroline Herdson. It is reminiscent of her previous work in certain ways, notably the painterly concerns of shallow depth, luminous colors and semi-transparent veils sitting just forward of the picture plane, but a break-away in terms of subject matter. Horses and bridal veils no longer feature

Herdson claims it was never about the horses anyway. They were just props – necessary to create an inter-play between painting and subject matter, and all the delights that can ensue from that inter-play. The attempt to make the painting rise above or distance itself from its subject matter is another familiar characteristic of her work. In previous paintings her subjects (horses) have been bleeding, leaving pools of blood on the ground. Through use of painterly means – brushwork, modeling, intense color, she sought to make the blood exquisite while retaining its inescapable symbolism of death

Herdson has a background in art, architecture, philosophy and teaching art and design. Throughout her work there is a clear love of imagery in both language and pictures, a fascination with the dream-like, surreal world that images can evoke, and with the possibility of images having several meanings. She entertains philosophical ideas through a balancing act between form and meaning.

Event listed by lethamgallery

View their other events or contact promoter