JULIA CHIANG – HOLDING MY BREATH MOVING CLOSER CLOSER
2020-10-05Chiang is known for her detailed paintings which take flat-colour backgrounds as a setting for an intricate web of shapes and forms, flowing in converging directions and carefully constructed through layers of paint. From an initial viewing the compositions seemingly give off the appearance of a uniform execution but upon closer study reveals the differences in transparency and definition, and at times the presence of uncertainty and chance in the painterly process.
The repetition of pointed ellipses are a prominent feature in Chiang’s paintings, occupying the expanse of flat colour and creating a sense of movement, a channel of energy. Underneath, large forms appear to guide and gather the flow; or layered on top they loom above, threatening to encroach and disturb the serene pattern. The strive for pattern continuity, the ambiguity between containment and expansion, pushing between shapes and directions are reminiscent of the pushing of physical and emotional boundaries Chiang contemplates within her visual language.
Opposite – LEAN MORE, 2020
Exhibition runs through to November 6th, 2020
The Modern Institute
14-20 Osborne Street
G1 5QN
Glasgow
