Artists Statement:
My studio is a large space in a beautiful old building in the heart of the city, a private retreat, with cafes and bustling city life below offering a great range of distractions and stimulation. I keep a fairly disciplined structure and routine to my studio days, working Monday to Friday from about 10am to 6 pm.
In preparing a body of work for a solo exhibition, I tend to work out my main concerns, direction and focus for the whole show at an early stage. Sifting, sorting, gathering information, looking, seeing, photographing, thinking about where the work is heading, looking back on where it has been and where I would like to take it next.
I find it is important to have a vision and feel for the body of work which will be presented as a whole in a solo exhibition. A sifting process of looking, photographing, reading, writing and gradually reaching an essence for the feel and intention behind the work; what I am trying to evoke.
This strong vision is a useful measure to return to as you are struggling with the paintings and their process. It can be helpful to push the painting until you feel it has arrived at its original intentions.
As each painting takes approx. 3 months to do and a solo show is usually intensely worked on for about a year, it is a long period to sustain your vision. Through the painting process and time this does develop and change, but having that strong original vision can be a backbone to develop from.
My paintings are not generally preceded by sketches or studies; my camera being my sketchbook of choice. Investigating and researching through photography, developing a strong vision and then letting the painting processes and problem solving play out on the canvas. As my work is built up in many layers of glazes, I find there is little room for error, as each stage of the work is visible through the transparent layers; therefore there is a lot of pressure for balance, harmony and dare I say perfection at each stage of the painting.
Being organized with my studio practice allows time and space to concentrate on making the work. Canvases are prepared well in advance and materials stocked up. All of my work is constantly documented, photographing each painting’s daily progress, producing a file of photos on each work. This can be very helpful in looking back at struggles and developments in the work, as well as providing me with a library of all my paintings.
Kathryn Ryan