JUL 8, 2011 – JUL 31, 2011
Starting Saturday July 8, 2011, at 7:00 pm, Common Sense presents Figure/Ground – An exhibition of new paintings by Samantha Williams.
Samantha Williams work focuses on the human figure and the natural landscape. These two genres of paintings have historically been separated, but her paintings challenge history and reflect a congruency and similarity between the two styles. The unexpected solitude of the human figure in her paintings and the engulfing natural elements, breaks the borders of simply a figure within the landscape, and becomes a figure broken into the landscape. Her work has evolved to explore the relations between imagination and reality in a natural environment.
The process begins with an idea of a place, real or imaginary, and the placement of a figure into the natural landscape. Often sculptural models are referenced. The figure is then broken and distorted to become a part of the landscape. The work proceeds through a series of sketches to a full-sized drawing, which is transferred to canvas. Her technique for the actual paintings involves building up areas of color through the application of many thin layers of transparent paint to achieve vibrant color effects.
This set of work truly highlights the link between the landscape and the figure. These natural compositions reflect much study on the anatomy of the human body and the landscape that penetrates it.
Common Sense 