Painting & Printmaking School of Fine Art
Louise McGunnigle
My work forms a conversation around the parallels of abstraction and figuration, where the figures emerge from the canvas through intuitive mark making, but not necessarily at first glance. Although the figure is a primary focus, I also aim to create a spiritual dynamic between these apparitions across different canvases.
I take inspiration from prominent abstract and figurative artists such as Cecily Brown, Francisco De Goya and Willem De Kooning, whose use of colour and subject directly impacts my work. The spiritual influences that affect how I paint are derived from my interest in film and music, specifically through Horror films such as “Rosemary’s Baby” and “Poltergeist”. As I work intuitively to create an ambiguous flow through my work these interests crop up through cryptic titling of the paintings, allowing the viewer to interpret their own message.
The ethereal qualities present are indicative of the importance of intuitive connection to the paint as well as colour palette chosen. Indirect connections to film and music are relevant to how I allow colour to develop in a work as they correlate to the mood prescribed or simply act as a subconscious decision in colour choice.