It was really eye opening to see the two shows. The show at pilar corrias was strongly recommended by tahmina, since she said I would find inspiration from how freely Sophie uses paint - and I did. Hellerman used acrylic on unprimed canvas, in a seemingly dry finish. Even though it was completely different to how I use watered - down mediums such as ink and watercolor, it still had that sense of movement that I am drawn to. tahmina also pointed out that there is a certain naivety in my work and I see that in hellerman's pieces as well. The atmosphere by the seaside was conveyed successfully & it was as if I could hear the gleeful laughs and light conversation from along the sandy beach. That isn't to say there isn't a fantastical element to the show. Down in the basement one painting of Poseidon looking on loomingly from his dark quarters edges on from the wall. Beside it, a strikingly colorful & surreal painting of a sort of boat and some clown-looking figures are gathered upon it. it was intriguing to see how the artist depicted her images of the sea and the exaggerated element in some works such as in Plastic People, which portrays almost comical movements. I also really liked how the staircase had water-like markings on them, as if even going downstairs the viewer is being carried by waves. This show encouraged me to be more free when I paint, and to let my mind roam without the restriction of unnecessary worries.
Jules de Balincourt's show was incredibly mesmerizing. It was the combination of the magical colors used and the ambiguity of landscape and figures that makes each work such a stunning web of narrative. There is also a strong sense of travel, arriving, leaving a place, or simply floating within this space. As I mentioned before I wanted to explore the restlessness of travel even with rest, and the ideas surrounding home. evidently this show gave great inspiration. I saw how he used small figures and fit them in cracks in the rocks, crouching down by the waters, walking through narrow paths like a visitor of sorts. By adding numerous figures it not only gave great sense of the scale of such landscape but also the combined movement of a crowd, as well as individual exploration. Some are resting, some have their hands up with either exhilaration or worship. As a viewer I felt like I was being sucked into each setting and with the surreal use of color I could almost feel the temperature of each place. The sense of higher or bigger beings were also strongly suggested, for example in the figures half hidden in the trees - which emphasizes on how small & unprotected the figures are in this realm. Geography seems to be a clear theme explored in this show, which I am very interested in. I definitely found inspiration in the great landscapes depicted and how he utilized oil on panel. All of the pieces had an eerie yet wonderful element to it that draws you in.
