GOLDTHREAD
This group of exploratory paintings emerged out of an interest in the relationship of the mind/body to nature and image-making, particularly the process of attuning to plant intelligence. In the Middle Ages healers followed what was known as the Doctrine of Signatures in order to understand the medicinal properties of plants. It was based on the idea that the healing wisdom of a plant – formed over thousands of years in relationship to its environment – is contained in its form and can be read through the poetics of metaphor and image perception. The analogous relationship between the process of finding and developing an image in a painting and the ancient practice of using the Doctrine of Signatures to 'read' a plant's gesture, was the territory out of which the following paintings were made.
Stories, images, and healing gestures associated with individual flowers growing on Fogo Island became found elements from which the work was constructed. Visual references include historical narratives, children's books, medieval paintings, and everyday things found in the studio. In many, an abstract language or 'signature' was found over time through an imagined gestural conversation between two flowers.
Goldthread was the title of the exhibition held at JK Contemporary on Fogo Island in August 2022. It is named after a Fogo wildflower. All of the work was made in the last 2 years.
Talk at JK Contemporary in conversation with Robyn Love: video
This group of exploratory paintings emerged out of an interest in the relationship of the mind/body to nature and image-making, particularly the process of attuning to plant intelligence. In the Middle Ages healers followed what was known as the Doctrine of Signatures in order to understand the medicinal properties of plants. It was based on the idea that the healing wisdom of a plant – formed over thousands of years in relationship to its environment – is contained in its form and can be read through the poetics of metaphor and image perception. The analogous relationship between the process of finding and developing an image in a painting and the ancient practice of using the Doctrine of Signatures to 'read' a plant's gesture, was the territory out of which the following paintings were made.
Stories, images, and healing gestures associated with individual flowers growing on Fogo Island became found elements from which the work was constructed. Visual references include historical narratives, children's books, medieval paintings, and everyday things found in the studio. In many, an abstract language or 'signature' was found over time through an imagined gestural conversation between two flowers.
Goldthread was the title of the exhibition held at JK Contemporary on Fogo Island in August 2022. It is named after a Fogo wildflower. All of the work was made in the last 2 years.
Talk at JK Contemporary in conversation with Robyn Love: video
FLOWERS
Related interests around the subtle body, perception and healing with flowers and plants have led to work with Fogo Island's flora. More information about this can be found at Fieldsong.ca / @fogoessence (instagram)
