The Shape of Memory III Painting

These 2 works began with a commission prompt from my cousin in Virginia. I wanted to draw the connection between our shared great grandmother who had died in the Spanish flu of 1918, age 37, in the western Cape of South Africa. The enduring trauma on our grandparents was never as dominant in my mind as it has been recently, as its chilling echo of today's pandemic reverberates around the world. The series of decisions informing the work reflects the attempt to bridge geographical locations, the built environment and vessels that house our collective memories. Both the connections and the shapes themselves insist on incongruousness and uncertainty. They are both forming and dissolving, transient between material and spiritual realms. So our memories exist in flux and with polarities: birth and loss; dominance and recession; facts and perception; permeability and inpenetrability; gaps and solidity. Our experiences nestle within us and they in turn are echoed by the shadows and light cast by previous generations’ memories embedded in our make up. I used a layering process of painting, glazing, sanding back and re-painting to the point where the paradox of a discordant harmony feels authentic. Finally, gold oil pastel and paint are interwoven to reflect the irradiant spirit of our common grandparents who continue to illuminate our history and values, threading a path for our children and their futures.

Painting:Oil on Canvas

Original:One-of-a-kind Artwork

Size:39.8 W x 29.9 H x 1.6 D in

Delivery Time:Typically 5-7 business days for domestic shipments, 10-14 business days for international shipments.