Harriet Poznansky next to Hong Kong Silk Series No. 1
I have recently renovated a barn in a field in the country side near St.Ives to use as my painting studio . There are lots of sound , most unnameable , spatially difficult to place. Movement, there is lots , only the rhythms of my surroundings are much subtler than the mechanical dance of a city that lays its contents bare . In Cornwall, I have watched the light change daily, focused on understanding the flight of birds and tried to paint the quality and colours of a sky that is bare , misty , illuminated or full of clouds in constant flux. When drawing my surroundings I try and simplify everything down to its basic shape , light and form. The trees are bulbus and packed together, many different shades of reds, greens, pinks and oranges, yet they are exposed and the wind makes these forms jostle up against each other, i think quite merrily . Naturally the place is alive.
I am currently working on a new body of work by painting on a patterned silk brought back and gifted to me from Hong Kong. Within each painting I have been trying out different ideas with my materials ; printed silk, oil paints, inks, spray paints. Asking questions as basic as some of these , like: what materials will work together ? how much of the original floral pattern to reveal and conceal ? what is the atmosphere of this particular fabric, should I go with it or work against it ? Completely rebel against it's image and just simply think of it as a material to paint on top of ? Or think about the Chinese motifs as another visual language to contrast against, work in and balance with another or maybe several other visual languages ? Is this simply a language game ?
Honk Kong Silk Series No. 2
Hong Kong Silk Series No. 3
Hong Kong Silk Series No. 4
Hong Kong Silk Series No.1