Catalina Bravo: Water through Abstract Lenses
Nancy Newton's work FROM THE SEA / FROM THE PAST at the Propeller Art Gallery was very inspirational. Nancy talks about how nature and music inspired her to make all her work for her “From the Sea” mixed media pieces. As someone who was always by the water, whether it was the ocean, rivers, lakes, cascades, etc., I felt this viewing really connected me to my roots and my life.
Growing
up in Chile, I was always surrounded by nature. This is something I miss so deeply. I can see, from viewing Nancy’s work, how well she captures the rhythm and energy of the sea in her own terms. I have
always thought that different bodies of water give different vibes and
energies, which can be transformed and represented in many ways and forms in art.
My own family has always been surrounded by
art and I grew up being exposed to art. My dad and my grandmother
are very artistically inclined. My dad is an architect. When I
was younger, both painted as hobbyists: my dad through abstraction
and my grandma through realism. So I have been exposed to these different artistic practices throughout my life.
Nancy’s work reminds me of my own roots. One of the many conversations I had with my family was about abstract art and artists' intentions. Nancy’s intentions are to animate nature and the sea. Often, in doing this, she references landscapes or uses music. In investigating her work, I was reminded of Roberto Matta,
a Chilean abstract artist, who has significantly contributed to the history of art. He was influenced by surrealism during his time in France yet focused on abstract painting. He was born in Chile and later moved to France to work alongside Corbusier, who, after World War ll, moved to the United States and continued practicing there.
A lot of Matta’s work resonates with Nancy’s, as they both touch upon the natural elements and their own history. There are a few pieces of Nancy's that resonated to me and drove me to think of Matta. You can see how both pieces clearly express nature and even share similar elements in their work. The two artists reveal a similar rhythm when it comes to expressing water. I looked at the Sea-Shell Cradle painting comparing how the energy and the ocean vibe can be expressed so differently, yet in such a similar way. Nancy's work was inspired by "Dream-e-scape" and the ocean and you can her unique point of view. Matta's work is a lot darker and obscure in tones and colours, yet still his has that fluidity and rhythm that can be seen in Nancy's.
Nancy Newtown's work was so inspirational and so refreshing to see that I am thinking about how to use her methods in my own practice, even to encouraging me to try abstract art.... when I don't do abstraction at all.
