CONTEMPORARY ART AWARDS 

Evocative (2018) is an exhibition of new paintings and ceramics by New South Wales artist, Susannah Paterson. Susannah's artworks traverse through the spheres of the conscious, subconscious and unconscious mind. Her work has an enigmatic quality conjuring a dreamlike state for the viewer. These whimsical paintings are painterly; some in rich, vibrant colours while others use muted tones. Her ceramic pieces, on the other hand, are more practical and provide balance in her art practice. Evocative transports us into Susannah's world of imagination. 

 

 

- Contemporary Art Awards

 

Evocative (2018) is a collection of paintings and ceramics that I have created in the last 12 months. Each piece represents my continued exploration of the conscious, subconscious and unconscious awareness.  For years, I searched for my own unique creative voice that would encapsulate multi aspects of what I wanted to express (experiences working as a therapist, the spiritual and the mystical, a love of animals and nature, and all the stories I have borne witness to in my work as a healer).  One day through an exercise at a workshop,  something clicked, and it all came pouring out of me onto the paper.  The teacher looked at me and said, “you know, this really is your thing” and I knew he was right because I could feel the tears of recognition that I had found my visual voice.  Since then, I have continued to make paintings from my imagination and allowing “what sits in the field” to be expressed through colour and form.  

 

The process of creating a painting begins with activating the surface with random and rhythmic marks, which I make while in a meditative state.  I use oil paints because I love the luminosity, and most recently I have discovered working on round supports which I find liberating.  I continue to build on the initial marks, using them as a scaffold for what may emerge. I allow the painting to tell me what it wants to be.  Some of the works are taken into mysterious narratives, and others are left in their evocative suggestive state.   I am searching for beauty, potential, duality and some narrative or universality that will provide a vehicle for conversation and reflection. I paint about infinity, and the infinite possibilities therein,  working from a chaotic and unknown beginning,  towards meaning, order and balance. 

 

I am mostly a Figurative Abstract painter, with occasional forays into more impressionistic realism.  The ceramics are more traditional and provide a valuable grounding and centring - a balance to the “unknown” of the paintings.   I particularly enjoy working on the wheel, and I have included some examples of the large bowls I am proud to be able to throw at long last.  The sculptural and handbill pieces are whimsical but still functional.  They are all created to bring pleasure to the one that holds them. 

 

I am continually exploring ways to integrate the paintings and ceramics. 

 

- Susannah Paterson