BRENDA BARTHELL
the Special Relationship
Opening Reception: Thursday, September 10 - October 10, 6:30-8:00 pm
September 10 - October 5, 2009
theartleague
As an art therapist, I learned to respect the unconscious elements that can surface during the creative process. It was this experience that led me to wonder if the recurring theme that had emerged in my abstract paintings - images of landscape both near and far - alluded to the relationship between my country of birth, England, and to this country where I have lived for many years. Having been nurtured by both cultures, I explored ways to convey this emotional connection. This continuous "landscape" is the culmination.
Toying with geography and time, I indulged my fantasies and narrowed the distance between my two homes, reveling in the power that the brush gives me to change my world. The torn pieces of old paintings often guided color choice and design or served to mark places that are dear to me. Moving in and out of abstraction, spontaneous and planned images emerged and the terrain that evolved was kept deliberately vague in the hope that viewers might find their own stories.
The Special Relationship is a term that is used to describe the historic, diplomatic, and political connection between the UK and the US. These paintings, however, represent a personal bond and one that may be familiar to others who have divided roots.
Multiple panel installation of acrylic paintings. Connected "landscape" totaled 33 feet in length.
