‘Patagonia’ is an exhibition inspired by the vast landscape of Southern Chile and Argentina. Whilst each painting captures a Patagonian scene, the work pushes beyond simply a record of place. Patagonia, in my eyes, represents something more. This truly wild landscape embodies the sublime more overtly than any other I have experienced. The constant state of flux in which the natural world exists is acutely apparent here. It becomes clear, feeling the full force of weather while scaling boundless peaks and ever changing glaciers, that the deep, inevitable, connection to landscape we feel, both physically and emotionally, is fundamental to our existence. In creating this show I hope to draw attention to this relationship on the individual level as well as in the broader context.
Each painting is a window to a scene, the threshold between human and landscape. Depth and detail invite the viewer to look closer, drawing them into the space, engaging imagination and memory. Dynamic composition, light and texture create an atmosphere evoking the power of the elements at play in this environment. In selecting these commanding scenes I hope to stimulate reflection on the state of the natural world, as it can be seen as a compelling mirror of the human condition.
- Amelia Carroll