ruthphipps.co.nz

Ruth Phipps, Artist

http://www.ruthphipps.co.nz
My recent work has continued my exploration of the themes of intimacy, memory, absence, and the suggestion of human presence through the representation of fabric, drapery, and especially sheets. The paintings seek to convey different meanings and emotions, and to speak to both the personal and the universal.
 
In these images, light and shadow create form and surface, suggesting volume. The light is dramatic and symbolic. A sense of tranquility is created in areas where white paint is used to render the cloth, yet at the same time a tension exists, derived from the deep folds and dark shaded areas.
 
This creates feelings of fragility and vulnerability. It creates mystery, and raises questions, inviting each viewer to bring his or her own responses, to search their own memories.
 
Worked in a limited palette, the colour is muted, evocative, and reminiscent of photos darkened with the passage of time, suggesting a reflective stillness, the past. In contrast, dynamic folds, dips, and hollows flow with a sense of rhythm and musicality, echoing the play of dark and light, and bringing movement and a sense of energy that is very much in the present.
 
Similarly, while the use of light and style of painting is informed by the traditions of 16th and 17th century masters, it is equally relevant to today. The past is acknowledged in the context of the contemporary.
 
Fabric is at the same time past and present, personal and universal. We are inextricably tied to it, from our first cry to our last breath. And in addition to its ability to cover and protect, fabric is also used to honour and enshrine, conceal and reveal, and to convey symbolic and spiritual messages. This dual ability to convey both the practical and symbolic attests to its integral role in the human condition, and continues to provide inspiration for my work.