One Between Two 2015
Kensington Contemporary, Chippendale NSW 19 Nov- 20 Dec 2015
First Avenue Gallery, Sawtell NSW 26 July- 28 August 2015
Sarah Mufford’s upcoming exhibition One Between Two constructs a fractured kaleidoscope where binaries collide: intuition and reasoning, free-flowing shapes and pattern systems, traditions of East and West. These notions tumble together in a series of watercolour paintings, where Mufford’s observations of nature evoke the style of Italian masters, and resonate an Indian mantra.
Inspired during a residency in Umbria, Italy, Mufford’s series was influenced by early Renaissance depictions of flora and foliage and the decorative patterns of Central and Northern Italian fresco painting. Mufford investigates nature by layering pattern systems to dissolve spatial relationships and colour perceptions, building vibrant textures from pools of colour and intricate prints.
At the core of her works lies the mantra “one between two”, a notion prominent in traditional Indian miniature painting. This mantra steers her application of pattern in the style of decorative marking, from leaves to fabric and brickwork. This textural weaving echoes the sacred geometrical ratio that Giotto used to determine the placement of stars on the ceiling of the Scrovegni chapel in Padua.
Lucia Nyugen
Kensington Contemporary