Restrictions of Routine
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Date
2018-04-27
Authors
O'Neill, Eryn
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
University of Waterloo
Abstract
The exhibition, Restrictions of Routine, consists of a series of paintings inspired by a co-dependent relationship I have with running and painting. Through the gestural application of paint combined with clear references to objects and architecture, the work becomes a visual journey through a known and familiar place. The perspective and vantage points vary from piece to piece, ranging from close-cropped compositions to wide-angled landscapes exaggerating the disorientation experienced while running. The images are in direct response to the non-fixed perspective of a runner in a state of heightened awareness; my perspective is not that of a stationary observer. Reactions are amplified when running through a contested space, where uneven footing, intersections and hidden driveways are a persistent hazard. The paintings are the product of months of repetitive outings, in all conditions, to gather enough information, visually and mentally, to create sensorial charged paintings that are suggestive of a figure navigating an unsettled environment. Areas of the paintings dissolve into unapologetically surface-based brushstrokes juxtaposed with careful detail—a constant search for spatial cues.