My practice investigates colour, form and the use of cut out shapes. Exploring the ways memories fade and shift over time, leaving behind fragments and absences rather than fixed images. I am interested in how I can manipulate fabric, its surface using texture and depth. The cutouts I use in my practice serve as a visual metaphor for the ways memories evolve in our lives. How some details are often forgotten being replaced
with new ones.
Throughout this year I have been investigating painting as something I can push beyond the traditional elements of canvases on a stretcher. I have explored the process of expanded paintings using elements of taking away from the painting rather than adding to it. In my submission for the October 2024 ‘Kaos’ exhibition I started developing with the idea of taking away from the fabric. Cutting out irregular shapes from the two canvas sheets, then going on to layer them both together onto a wall, this was one of my first attempts of combining both multi layered fabric with the idea of taking apart the final product. The idea of
using cut out shapes and layering fabric is something I then have experimented further on throughout this year.
As my work has been progressing, I have been researching artists that have similar interests and ideas to my own practice. I have been influenced by the works of Piero Manzoni especially his views on expanded paintings. His “Achromes” series was an influential series, exploring the ways of branching out of the
traditional painting techniques. Lucio Fontana is another artist who investigated how space can be created using ‘slashes’ in canvas, allowing the viewer to look through into the space behind. His work “Spatial Concept ‘Waiting’” was a piece I researched, looking into how I could use cutouts to create a visual contrast
between the fabric and the empty space.
I furthered my exploration of the relationship between canvas sheets and negative space by hanging my work, allowing the viewers to look through the piece at eye level. In my piece “Episkopi 07” I have created a multi-layered installation piece consisting of four individual canvas sheets. Each one was designed to have space in between each sheet, emphasising the negative space between them. The use of vibrant colours on
each layer of fabric created depth and drew from the colours of the Mediterranean. By hanging the canvases, I allowed them to move and sway with the air, this introduced an organic quality to the piece. The subtle motion contrasts with the empty space of the cutouts, creating a metaphor for shifting memories and
how they develop over time.
The approach towards hanging my work has come from this research into expanded painting. Artist Sam Gilliam is another artist that has inspired my experimental techniques of hanging my work from the ceilings or walls. His methods of hanging, draping, and folding have inspired me to consider how I use fabric in my
practice. “Carousel State” a 1968 piece by Gilliam is a prime example of how fabric can be manipulated from the generic style of canvas paintings into something completely new and inventive.
Moving forward, my intent is to continue developing my use of fabrics, techniques, and my approach to expanded painting. I am particularly interested in furthering my own work by pushing the boundaries of how my work can interact with space stylistically and encourage the viewers to physically engage and interact
with further pieces. I also plan to experiment with unfamiliar materials and methods of painting, broadening my practice by exploring new mediums and processes.
Amber Quigley 