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Editorial Review
20 August-7 September 2008 There is no doubt walking into this exhibition that Trewartha's style is unique but holds an echo of the past. She calls her genre "contemporary 'Bel Composto'" - meaning 'Beautiful Whole' - in the vein of the original, named and practiced by Gian Lorenzo Bernini in the 17th century baroque period, which sought to unify different artistic mediums and transport the viewer by creating a sense of altered perspective. Whereas Bernini combined painting, sculpture and architecture, Trewartha merges the mediums of painting, print-making and photography. Trewartha's work is a modern re-creation of typical baroque art with a distinct focus on expressing charged emotional states through subtle physicality. Each individual piece is undeniably intense, evoking a certain collective oppressiveness in the small exhibition space. Whether it is the inner torment of The World Will Never Find You, a large portrait of a clearly abandoned woman, or the sad, soulless female in the circular Without a Centre, Where to Fix the Soul? one cannot help but be moved by the women on the walls. This is heightened by the combination of colourless materials and the various mediums used in potent combination. This is a dark, but incredibly striking exhibition and in its unpredictability ensures a solid base from which this artist can move forward in popularity and further investigation of her genre.
Emma McGowan (20 August viewing) |
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