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In my own work, I explore the way colour can
contribute to a visual language that works as a
metaphor for personal experience of, and observation of
personal dispositions, relationships and behaviour.
“Colour is a personal symbolic code. That is not to say
that there is a direct correlation between a colour and
another thing or notion, rather that colour is used to
evoke a reaction or resonance in the viewer. This may
happen sub-consciously and in combination with other
visual cues in order to convey meaning.”
Michelle Griffiths
Symbiosis, Oil on Canvas, 116 x 127 cm
In conclusion, I end with a list of nouns which also
emerge from the thinking of this group of artists:
parallel, equivalent, allegory, metaphor, analogy. These
sum up the way colour is employed in this exhibition.
It is freed from its purely descriptive function and its
role expanded into new realms of expression. Colour is
operating as a vital creative element in its own right.
Here we encounter colour supporting meaning and
operating as a structural force; it is instrumental in
conveying meaning and intelligence in these artworks.
The artists in this exhibition have been engaged in
research and practical exploration of colour over a
substantial period of time. Early in their specialist
education, artists learn about the theory of colour and
how it operates and communicates. When looking at
an artwork, often the viewer is not consciously thinking
about the theory, the principles of how colour works,
but, if used effectively, colour will operate upon the
viewer and elicit a given reaction. I hope the
exhibition conveys the excitement and power of colour
as an expressive force that drives these artists’
commitment to continually develop new chromatic
ideas and applications across a range of media.
Michelle Griffiths