Batik - Painting 1 (#BATIK_01)

About: Crossing the boundaries of disciplines in art can be stimulating. In this series of mixed media paintings, the artist combined the ancient art of batik with the more modern medium of acrylic painting. The contrast between the free gestures of the batik and the controlled planning of the composition is an important element to me. Drawing with hot wax has to be done quickly, which brings freedom of expression. Once completed, the batik is de-constructed in some ways by the other components of the painting. The painted shapes are always organic rather than geometric, and their outlines create a bas relief by the use of fibre, adding another dimension. The last stage to be resolved is the modification of colour and tone.

"My main interest in abstract painting involves dealing with this combined challenge of structure and colour. The outcome is always unexpected. The work proceeds through layering, and intuition is integral throughout. Consequently, time away from the studio allows for the digestion of ideas. For me, a painting must evolve slowly in this way to have depth and any chance of originality. In my work, my aims are always the same: to have rhythm and harmony in the composition and to be evocative rather than descriptive. The paintings are never ‘abstracted from’ nature; rather, they are a product of it in the form of imagination. To me, abstraction can be the closest to ‘reality’ as everything is made up of patterns of form, colour and texture, right down to the microscopic level ".

Medium: Mixed media original painting on canvas 

Size: 90cm (W) by 60cm (H)

Artist Info: Marguerite Knight received her Master of Fine Art degree from the University of North Dakota, USA, her Bachelor of Arts (Hons) degree from the University College of Wales, Aberystwyth, UK, and her Diploma in Fine Art from Vesper George School of Art, in Boston, Massachusetts, USA. She regularly exhibits nationally and internationally. She is represented by the Artifact Gallery, New York, USA and is a member of Espacio Gallery in London, UK. Her work is in several collections, notably the permanent collection of the North Dakota Museum of Art.