Sydney Contemporary Art Fair, Carriageworks SydneyNew works presented by James Makin Gallery

7–10th September 2023
Booth H07

This collection of work was inspired by the words of American modernist artist Anne Truitt. I read her four journals titled Daybook, Turn, Prospect and Yield over the year I spent with my newborn baby. The way Truitt wrote about her art practice memory and family greatly resonated for me especially as I balance my own creative practice and motherhood. I wanted these works to reflect that- the explosion of florals that represent the joy of motherhood and the awe at this world, of which children remind us. The cluttered assembling of objects within the composition depicts the chaos of the Artist’s home where the complexities of parenthood, art and life intersect.

The works’ colour palette references Truitt’s sculptures and paintings as a place to begin and from where colour is layered and juxtaposed. I always come back to Bonnard’s work when I have time to reflect and this is evident especially in the background of these works. Truitt beautifully writes about colour selection and how for each sculpture she laboured over mixing, layering, sanding and reapplying paint. It is this same mindful consideration that I applied to these works. I used pumice and whiting mixed in with certain layers of paint to add depth and varied surfaces.

The floral subject matter for these works is derived predominantly from my garden and local nurseries or produce stores. Seasons can be tracked through the shift in turning leaves and late summer blooms. The majority are native species that are endemic in the state of Victoria.

To request a catalogue please email info@jamesmakingallery.com