Emotions Abstracted
22 March – 09 April
Jan Murphy Gallery
486 Brunswick St, Fortitude Valley, QLD
Ph +61 7 3254 1855
To request a catalogue of the exhibition please email the gallery here
Artist statement
‘The longer you look at an object, the more abstract it becomes and, ironically, the more real.’
Lucian Freud
After spending several years deciphering and creating images related to the outside world, the impetus for this body of work was to go in the opposite direction. To take away all references and symbols to the exterior world and instead turn inwards. Much like closing your eyes and meditating on an object or the breath, these paintings function in a similar way. The basic concept was taken from Robert Plutchik’s ‘wheel of emotions’ where he suggests 8 primary bipolar emotional states: joy / sadness; anger / fear; trust / disgust; surprise / anticipation. Additionally, this circumplex model makes connections between the idea of an emotion circle and a colour wheel. Like colours, primary emotions can be expressed at different intensities and can mix with one another to form different emotions.
Each painting utilises one primary, secondary or tertiary colour (or emotion) as it’s base. Layered on top are then opposing or harmonious colours, shapes, symbols and textures. I wanted to create resplendent tableaus that explore the idea of emotions primarily through the use of colour. The aim was to create dynamic compositions that are both peaceful and potent at the same time. The mood my paintings create - and possibly the reason why people respond to them, is because they somehow express something real, even though they look dreamy and odd. I try to convey through pigments, the same emotional response that you have when listening to a favourite song or watching a film you love.
Fred Fowler 2022
Pictured above:
untitled 6 (2022) 80 x 90cm Synthetic polymer paint and mica flakes on wood panel
untitled 23 (2022) 80 x 90cm Synthetic polymer paint and mica flakes on wood panel
untitled 20 (2022) 80 x 90cm Synthetic polymer paint and mica flakes on wood panel
untitled 2 (2022) 80 x 90cm Synthetic polymer paint and mica flakes on wood panel
Photo: Bridget O’Shea