Introducing Clare Woods: Exploring Fluidity Between Abstraction and Figuration
Stephen Friedman Gallery announces the representation of acclaimed artist Clare Woods, enriching its portfolio with the dynamic interplay between abstraction and figuration evident in Woods' visceral paintings.
Contemporary art, gallery
Clare Woods, Simon Lee Gallery Photo: Ben Westoby Source: Ocula.com
Trained originally as a sculptor, Woods brings a unique perspective to two-dimensional space, melding influences from artists like Paul Nash, Barbara Hepworth, Marlene Dumas, and Wolfgang Tillmans. Woods' oeuvre transcends traditional art historical genres, challenging landscape, portraiture, and still life. Her thematic explorations delve into concepts of beauty, mortality, and loss, anchoring a practice that seamlessly merges the physical and the emotional.
The genesis of Woods' compositions lies in a vast archive of found and personal photographs. Employing instinctive brushstrokes, she deconstructs source imagery into formal elements, beginning with a simple outline on gessoed aluminium. The use of oil and resin allows Woods to manipulate the paint's movement, akin to a sculptor molding clay, resulting in vibrant and emotionally charged canvases.
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Titles, selected intuitively from an extensive quotation archive, serve as emotional triggers for viewers, providing an alternative entry point into Woods' work. Described by Simon Martin as "an inheritor of the Surrealist baton," Woods unveils unconscious associations through her paintings, inviting observers to perceive layers of meaning. Born in Southampton in 1972, Woods, elected a Royal Academician in 2022, received her education at Bath School of Art and Goldsmith's College.
Solo exhibitions are scheduled at Norrtälje Kunsthal, Sweden, in 2024 and Towner Eastbourne, UK, in 2026. Woods' impact extends beyond galleries, with her work housed in prestigious public collections worldwide. From the Buffalo AKG Art Museum, USA, to The Hepworth Wakefield, UK, her art resonates in spaces like Arken Museum of Modern Art, Denmark, and The National Museum of Wales, Cardiff.
In addition to representation by Stephen Friedman Gallery, Clare Woods is also affiliated with esteemed galleries such as Buchmann Galerie, Berlin; Cristea Roberts Gallery, London; Martin Asbaek Gallery, Copenhagen; and Night Gallery, Los Angeles. Her multifaceted presence in the global art scene continues to captivate audiences and redefine the boundaries of artistic expression.
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