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A local artist known for her hypnotic colour blends is presenting her first solo show, inspired by marble and myths.
Kirsty Garcia’s 'Atlantis' can be seen at Private and Public until 20 August.
The show is the first solo one for the artist, who previously painted an colourful mural on one the gallery’s walls for a group exhibition in 2019.
Painting has been part of Kirsty’s life since a young age and she enjoys manipulating colours using different mediums including acrylics, spray paint and alcohol inks.
“The process I go through is I start by choosing my colours, this can depend on my mood, the weather and what inspirations I have around me at the time,” she explained.
Video: A tour of Kirsty's 'Atlantis' exhibition.
“My favourite colours to use are turquoise and gold as it really sparks my creativity, but I also love using white, gold and grey- resembling the qualities of marble.”
Kirsty explained she never knows how a particular painting will turn out until it’s fully dry.
“They can change slightly in the drying process so it’s always really exciting to watch them develop and evolve as they dry,” she said.
“Depending on size, they can take anywhere between one and three weeks. They can take ages to dry and elements such as the weather can play a big part in the drying process.”
Pictured: Kirsty has been experiencing with round canvases.
The works shown in ‘Atlantis’ feature bright and dark blues, golds, as well as reds, whites and greys. They appear like a snapshot of colours mixing - a normally elusive process - that can be admired time and again.
“I love marble and gold and wanted to create a collection that felt luxurious as well as something that makes you feel you are being transported into another place,” Kirsty said. “These paintings are very fluid and full of movement, and I wanted to capture the flow of the paint as it moves across the canvas.”
The show also marks the first time Kirsty has worked with round canvases, reminiscent of portholes on a ship.
“I really wanted to create something different for people to see and experience,” Kirsty said. “They create a whole new element to the work and the movement of the paint is emphasised by the circular shapes.”
All of the works are named after mythological individuals and stories emanating from Plato’s Republic, wherein Atlantis represents the antagonists naval power that besieges ancient Athens, the pseudo historic embodiment of Plato’s ideal state in The Republic, as Kirsty explained.
Pictured: All of the works in the show are titled after mythological individuals and stories emanating from Plato’s Republic.
“In partnership with the exhibition curator and Gallery Director Chris Clifford we discussed how best to title individual works and the exhibition as a whole,” she said.
“Because the paintings are made by pouring luscious pools of paint onto the surface of the canvas we started to feel they resembled the Mediterranean sea. Many of the paintings also have surface textures that resemble ancient roman marble so we stumbled upon the idea of calling the show ‘Atlantis’.”
Gallery Director Chris Clifford said Kirsty's abstract paintings are not only “very beautiful”, but also have the capacity to “transport us to another place.”
“Like the lost underwater city of Atlantis, we can imagine being there but tantalisingly have yet to experience it,” he said.
“Coming from the long tradition of ‘process painting’, gravity is the defining feature of Garcia’s paintings. Luscious, thick pools of paint create unctuous surfaces that we want to dive into. The richness of her surfaces may also look effortless, but she has spent many years exploring the way paint, colour and canvas interact to provide us with timeless and elegant abstractions.
“The outcome of Kirsty Garcia’s paintings provide us with a joyous celebration of colour and the ability to marvel at their superlative technical skill and at the height of summer, when we all like to spend as much time as possible either on or in the sea, this exhibition is perfectly timed to provide visitors to the gallery with a truly immersive experience.”
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