Michelle Colson will be exhibiting her work at Fine Arts Whanganui Gallery for a month.
PICTURE / PAUL BROOKS
Michelle Colson will be exhibiting her work at Fine Arts Whanganui Gallery for a month.
PICTURE / PAUL BROOKS
Michelle Colson's contemporary abstract art is textural, liquid, luminous and light. Even her work in black does things to ambient light.
Michelle is the newest addition to the collective of artists at Fine Arts Whanganui and she is about to have her opening exhibition in the Taupo Quay gallery. "It's very muchabout what the materials do and I'm very interested in the polarities of matte and gloss, and the idea that it has a fluidity but actually it has stopped," says Michelle. "But there could be the possibility that something else could move on ... it's imbued with some sort of possibility. "I'm interested in the idea of relationships in that societal or personal [context], even a dialogue that's happening between me and the work, me and myself ... and the idea that there is a transformation occurring here, which, to me, is what relationships are all about."
The works Michelle will be exhibiting at Fine Arts will all be on black or white backgrounds, hence the title of the exhibition — Black is White. "The other important factor about me work is that I like to have a pristine ground — the background — and I spend a lot of time trying to make it as perfect as possible." Putting the abstract subject on the perfect background gives Michelle's work a three-dimensional effect, like volcanic lava in freeze frame.
"When I make the work I try to make sure that I can not see anything representative in there." If others see something in there, that's fine, but that's not the intention. Everyone's perception of an artwork is, of course, different. "The reception of the work is important to me. I want to leave it as open as possible and people can do what they want with it."
The relationship symbolism continues when she says that like a relationship her work has big ideas, but then there's detail.
Michelle finished her Bachelor of Media Arts (First Class Honours) in Hamilton after moving around New Zealand and Australia. She moved to Whanganui three years ago, attracted by the architecture and arts community. Her background is in finance and business but painting entered her life about 10 years ago. "I'm quite a methodical, organised person so doing work like this can be quite confronting. The organised, methodical bit is about the preparation and about how I work." The rest is very different. "I'm interested in process, and this is quite process oriented." She uses acrylic-based products but the actual ingredients and process is her own business.
Black is White opens on Friday, July 13, at 5.30 at Fine Arts Whanganui and will be on display for a month. Michelle is also going to be exhibiting in this year's Wanganui Home Show.
