Tore Gallery, Tore, until 30 September 2008

Christine O’Keefe - Wild Weather

INSPIRED by the Highland landscape, Oil & Water brings together the work of Clare Blois and Christine O’Keefe, two established local artists exploring the scope of their chosen media.

Edderton-based artist Christine O’Keefe expands our expectation about the medium of watercolour, especially in relation to her choice of subject matter. The combination of watercolour, ink and mixed media create depth and variation of texture in a layered treatment of the surface.

‘Suilven’ or ‘Wild Waters’ are good examples, where layers of colour overlap and bleed into deepening hues, the whole scene infused with the vigour and energy of falling water. The artist’s use of masking fluid as a medium for drawing introduces the element of accident into the work, keeping the creative process fresh and interesting for both the artist and the viewer.

There is nothing watered down about her use of the medium. The energy of each image is concentrated by an artistic process that takes its lead from a landscape that is as overwhelming as it is inspiring. “The ever changing drama, texture and colour of the scenery” is a driving force in O’Keefe’s work.

The artist’s treatment of a traditional watercolour subject such as flowers is also focused not on minute detail or in pastel washes but with a single bloom occupying almost the entire picture plane. ‘Fading Under a Scorching Sun’ (Mixed Media) with its centre defined by spatter and tinged with tones of decay is a good example.

Rather than being a technical or botanical study, O’Keefe introduces an emotive angle to the image. This quality is also apparent in some of her best landscapes where technique and composition evolve beyond the literal depiction of subject matter. While pieces such as ‘The Peaceful Burn’, ‘The Leafy Depths’ or ‘Silver Birches’ assure the viewer of the artist’s consistency and accomplished technique, the highlights of this show are those works which take us further into the landscape to convey a state of mind.

‘Wild Weather’ and a smaller work, ‘Shrouded In Mist’, both suggest a sense of distillation in the artist’s process which is wonderful to see. ‘Wild Weather’, with its vast sweep of sky in angry grey and Prussian blue, conveys stillness and concentration in a fusion of feeling and technique. ‘Shrouded in Mist, a square cropped diagonal composition is more abstract in nature, with the apex of a mountain suggested rather than described. This slightly skewed view is a particularly strong composition and one of the highlights of the show.

Recent works by Clare Blois are distinctive for their use of colour and evolution of style. Movement, texture and the “physical qualities of oil paint” are explored beautifully in works such as ‘Rosemarkie Seascape’, ‘Across The Beauly Firth’, ‘Hebridean Sea’ and ‘Going Home’.

These demonstrate a more subtle approach to the palette and a heightened awareness of the subject through pure paint handling and use of colour. An established artist known for her use of bright colour, this show exhibits a deeper understanding of this element of image making and its function in composition.

The triptych ‘Rosemarkie Seascape’, with its red sandstone tinted shore and flecks of alizarin under-painting, infuse the churning grey and white sea with life and energy. The palette is pared down but no less rich for it. Rather than applying saturated brights straight out of a tube, subtle shades of pink, purple and grey convey a more confident approach equalled by the energy of the brushwork.

Paint handling is varied with each scene, displaying a rhythm of its own. This coupled with mixing of colour feels less formulaic and more engaged with the nature of the subject. It feels as if this artist is really hitting her stride. The fluid, wave-like brushwork of ‘Hebridean Sea’ in blues, greens and ochre and ‘Dappled Sunset’ with its complimentary use of orange, blues and green both exhibit joy of paint handling as they move towards abstraction.

In ‘Going Home’ vermillion under-painting animates dominant steely blue variations of colour. Memory and emotion are present in this work in a way that feels truly engaged with real meaning of landscape. It is a shame that this particular group of smaller works have been hung so closely together, they deserve more breathing space so the viewer can really savour them.

This is an interesting and complimentary show, with two artists not just exploring technique in their chosen medium but actively engaging with their subject matter. It is always gratifying to see evolution in an artist’s work whilst still retaining their own unique voice. Both Clare Blois and Christine O’Keefe display a potentially significant shift in their work which I hope will develop further still in future exhibitions.

© Georgina Coburn, 2008

Links

• Tore Gallery