19 April –
9 June 2018
Caterina Silva’s third solo exhibition at the gallery, Impressioni, refers to the intuitive process through which Silva absorbs her surroundings as data without a clear code; impressioni also refers to the French Impressionist painting movement. With this series of paintings, the artist explores the effects that observations, receptions and happenings have on her, and in a way that makes us increasingly sensitised to stimuli we all absorb.
Invite
The gestural strokes in the paintings record traces of her mental processes, and use these as pathways to arrive at mappings of imagery, open to endless interpretation. These gestures escape language and its definitions and, unable to pin down any classifications, the gestures chase away fixed meanings, leaving viewers rocking on shifting grounds. For the purpose of forward momentum in Silva’s work, this intuitive process leads her to further theoretical investigations. The artist developed a series of gestures and actions as alternatives or supplements to the traditional use of the brush. These experiments, which began as empirical tools to explore the connections between freedom, gesture and mental structures, have resulted in techniques, which allow her to get rid of mental automatisms. Currently, the actions that Caterina Silva performs during her painting process reflect her on-going research into the nature of the mind, daily routines and personal/collective obsessions about food, body, spirituality, accumulation, consumption and waste.
Following on from previous series of works by Silva, there is a re-appearance of geometrical patterns and forms. Whereas before, when geometrics appeared in her works both as rational opposition to chance or as references to other Western artists’ work, they are now integrated into the surface of the paintings in a different way. Now, there is no separation between the various elements: the squares, triangles, and ellipses are organic accidents, and the techniques Silva uses reflect a more “natural” approach. Living and working in the same space over prolonged periods of time, in different parts of the world, has pushed Silva to mix elements from her daily routine with conventional painting materials. In these works she is using pigments, oil paint, spray-paint, ink, dust, soil, roasted barley, turmeric, curcuma, liquorice, soap and other edible or organic components that happen to be in her domestic surroundings.
The gallery space will teeter on the edge of display and action, with a number of performances, readings and goings on taking place.
Installation Views
Performance:
STORM I
Wednesday 23rd May 2018, 7-9pm
A selection of artists have been invited by Caterina Silva & Clover Peake to perform recent work including: Catherine Hoffman, Fabian Peake, Madinah Thompson, and others.
Performance:
STORM II – a performance by the artist and Andrea Koch
Wednesday 30 May, 7pm
Storm II is a performance of sounds & words by Andrea Koch (musician & sound-maker) & Caterina Silva (visual artist). This event is part of Block Universe’s Satellite Programme for 2018.
