Megan Chapman's latest series of paintings, Sometimes I love you and other stories , are monochromatic works fused with the artist's own words typed on paper torn from old books. These paintings give the viewer the sense of reading pages out of a diary or letters to a distant lover. Very minimal in nature, the work explores the artists love of the graphite line, as it cuts through the brilliantly white-painted canvas.
The series reflects on the kind of love that catches one unexpectedly, the kind we always knew was somewhere on the planet yet was for others. At the same time that this love seems special or unique, it is also ordinary and known.
Sometimes I love you and other stories represents the absence of fear and the challenges to our beliefs about ourselves and the world outside upon finding another soul that we can sometimes love.
Maps of the night is a series of twenty works created on paper. The edges of the paintings are not kept pristine and one can see some of the process left behind in the inky stains and drips. The maps contain a sense of immediacy in execution. The surface of these paintings have more of a drawn feel. The words and stories within the maps are personal to the artist, but also convey universal themes that many can relate to.
There is plenty of room for the viewer to wander throughout the map.There are brush strokes left plainly visible below the surface. These strokes create ridges within the paintings as the charcoal is allowed to darkly gather; flashes of blue, a tinge of orange or a vibrant green is left to linger, taking the piece away from being stark black and white. The tactility of the paper begs to be touched as the paper crackles and lowly rumbles as it is moved about and picked up and read.
Prior to painting the series Falling into sound, Megan Chapman was known for her richly-colored mixed media paintings. With this series she began the transition into more minimalist work, featuring a near monochromatic palette comprised of various tones of dark charcoal, translucent shades of blue, yellow, rust, and the occasional flash of green. As the title suggests, Chapman's works are greatly influenced by the music she listens to while painting. These paintings are quiet and meditative but also buzzing with layers of subtle colors and texture.
Blog
For more information about Megan's work, visit her studio blog, updated every Friday.
www.meganchapman.blogspot.com
Blue Moon Gallery
718 Central Ave.
Hot Springs, AR 71901
501.318.2787
www.bluemoonartgallery.com
Union Gallery
45 Broughton Street
Edinburgh EH1 3JU
+44.131.556.7707
www.uniongallery.co.uk
© Megan Chapman 2009-2011
