Gillian Barkhurst -

My body of work displays the reality of my emotions, experiences, and observations of the world through fantastical juxtapositions, strong colors, and symbolism. My primary mediums are gouache, oil paint, and linocut prints. My artwork employs strong contrast, often presenting one element beside it’s near opposite. For example, presenting the supernatural alongside the natural, the dead among the living or organic shapes and geometric patterns. I use strong colors, predominantly warm tones, and recurring shades that often appear in multiple works. Some of my favorite colors to work with are oranges, pinks, and reds which I balance with dark navies, blues, greys and greens. Artists that inspired my body of work include: Alphonse Mucha, Frida Kahlo, Claude Monet and Georgia O’Keeffe.

While there is no central guiding theme within my art there are several smaller themes that are prominent and recurring. The first is isolation, my figures are always either entirely alone or alone within a crowd of figures that are almost out of view or not quite human. For example, in Everything Has a Price and Fair Game the figure is guided or grabbed by hands that connect to figures the viewer can’t see. In Voyeur and A House on Fire a woman is surrounded by ghostly apparitions. This reflects a feeling of disconnectedness and isolation which has such a strong influence because I began my body of work in the beginning of the Pandemic. A second strong motif in my body of work is the presence of nature and the escapism it provides. Whether it’s ocean waves, like in Après moi, le déluge, a stormy mountainscape in There Will Come Soft Rains, wildflowers on a grassy knoll in Somewhere Else, or tropical foliage in Life in a Fishbowl. This theme comes from my interest in outdoor activities like hiking, backpacking and climbing which instilled in me a respect and fascination with nature. A final core theme is patriarchal expectations and how that complicates identity. Whether it’s a fear of leaving our societal niches as depicted in Life in a Fishbowl, subconscious self surveillance as represented in Voyeur, or those patriarchal expectations reaching out to grab you, in Fair Game. This theme comes from my own struggles with identity and negative experiences as a woman in a patriarchal society. While there is no overarching thematic idea for my body of work, all my work is encompassed by a variety of interwoven themes, concepts and motifs informed by my life and experiences.

The three mediums I employ in my body of work are Gouache, Linocut prints, and Oil painting. While Gouache is my primary medium, I’ve also included two prints and an oil painting. This is to show not only that I’ve grown within the medium of gouache, but also experimented and developed within other mediums. I included three mediums to create visual appeal and a sense of eclecticism through variety. I displayed my art in a gallery wall to contribute to an eclectic and maximalist feel. This sporadic style reflects my artistic process and idea development, which is never linear or clean. Just as my artistic process is nonlinear, so is my exhibition, the viewer should be drawn to whichever artworks they want without being confined to any linear order. Further, I grouped my pieces by color, arranging pieces with similar color schemes and tones next to each other to demonstrate the coherence and continuity of my body of work. Moreover, all the figures in my works are female, this serves an expressive purpose to me as the artist, but also establishes a relationship with the viewer. Although every figure differs in appearance, we share this familiarity which allows me to better identify with my art. This personification allows the viewer to make a human connection to themes or concepts that are often abstract. While my body of work is in no way intended only for women, often the themes associated with my art are especially understood by other women, thus justifying my inclusion of all female figures. All in all my work looks for the whimsey, or horror, in everyday life.