Claire Kirkup
Scrolling Instagram today this image bought me to a halt. I commented “It is DELICIOUS!” and that is truly how I feel. I love the energy, the layering, the jarring use of colour, even the juxaposition with the old chair! This motivated me to learn more about the artist; Claire is an Australian contemporary artist, born 1976, who lives and works in Melbourne, Australia and her work is held in collections nationally and internationally, including Canada, throughout Europe and the United States.
The below is taken from her Artist Statement page on her website:
“At the very core of my paintings are life experiences. Emotions are applied in flexible forms, and showcased as gaping cliffs, hilltops, precipices or large expanses of sky. For me there is a real parallel between emotion and landscape. Our country is so diverse, and it can be shaped and expressed in numerous unique ways. I find it mirrors the human spirit. We all feel our senses heightened when we are confronted by unique and breathtaking things in our natural surroundings. Taking my life experiences and moulding them into my own landscape is my way of working through tough things. Sometimes my works are associated with nostalgia, or deal with death and renewal. Taking something that is intangible onto a canvas with paint, accompanied by experimental music in the studio, solidifies time and encapsulates that experience. If you were to look back at a catalogue of my works over the years, it would read like a diary.”
Of course the usual suspects are present in these works; balance, harmony, contrast, but the below are the key points for me:
Energy is created with scribbled line
Layering provides visual interest and pulls me in
Large format allows me to feel swallowed up by the work - even though I’m viewing digitally