Contextual Study Point 2: Geraldine Swayne

http://geraldineswayne.org/photo_10060031.html#photos_id=10060036

Looking at Geraldine’s painting archive, there are many contrasting varieties of work which she has produced. Geraldine has used several mediums on paper and canvas. I had a look at her artwork and there were certain ones which stood our to me. It seems some of her artwork depicts maybe suffering and pain. Could it be the possible past of Geraldine’s life or someone she knows.

In the above images of Geraldine’s artwork, paper has been used as the base. In both of these artworks, ink has been used as the primary medium. It creates a scrappy but detailed look of what it happening within these pieces. The artwork on the right has also pastel incorporated into the image. An added layer to her work which as you can see, adds a bit of a sombre mood when looking at this piece of work. As before, with some of Geraldine’s work, there are signs that there is a victim who is full of sadness and suffering.

Much of her artwork in her painting archive dated from 2006 – 2012 are off a blurred image. The paintings are mainly of women who are trying to show signs of some expression but it is almost too hard to see what kind of expression it is. The images below enable you to get a sense of possible recurring trauma.

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These paintings by Geraldine stood out to me as I feel that the expression on all three of these people’s faces are the same but in a different moment of their time. The use of oil can create such depth and meaning and the contrast of these colours can make you feel happy but also sad. There are definite strong feelings in her work.

In the first panting, they way Geraldine has used the tones of colour and the detail makes us feel for the woman. It’s the look of sadness and the plea for possible help. Dark colours have been used to support that, with the grey tones used for the face and maybe some sort of cloth to cover her body. Maybe she is mourning a death of a loved one.

When you first look at the second painting, this time there is a young girl which given her expression of her face, she could be happy and enjoying something which happened just in front of her. The shades of orange and pink creates an almost life like figure that you could imagine what it would like if it were a picture. When I look at the background I imagine that the walls are melting like hot wax. The combination of colours and layers collide together and create this blur.

Looking at the third painting which is also an oil painting, there is a lone man who seems to be maybe in a rush for something. The use of making this painting blurry certainly makes you think that.

If you were to look through Geraldine’s painting archive from the start of around 2006 – 2012, you can see that the there has been a mixture of mediums and the colours which she has used to allow her paintings to speak and act. Most of her paintings dating between those times, there is a figure, whether it is a man, woman or some young and Geraldine has used her extraordinary talent to symbolise a whole array of feelings in great detail and even with the use of colours to express the context of her work.

It is a great set of work and really shows Geraldine’s thoughts and how she works.

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