For Jennie De Groot landscape painting offers an opportunity to depart from the literal, taking her viewer into a
contemplative and poetic space. Within De Groot's paintings, reality, imagination, and memory coexist- each holding an
equal share in the narrative. Intuition is the guide to extract the nuanced meanings of these layered and rich scenes.
The genesis of De Groot's paintings emerges from a tapestry of experiences, including travel, photos and music. These
influences merge with memory, passing through this beautifully fallible and ephemeral faculty. The results are
compositions that offer long-distance views, altered perspectives, areas of blurred movement and expressive gesture. The
observer hovers above, untethered from an earthbound perspective.
As the artist describes: "It's a little play on the idea of how we imagine existing in places that are not our usual
landscapes and the game of make-believe that is part of the fun of such experiences...these imagined landscapes are
figments of my imagination."
Working in oil paint, De Groot builds her lively surfaces with creative tool manipulation. Glazing techniques combine
with layering thin screes of transparent paint to craft multi-dimensional works. Colours are chosen for their emotive
qualities and the cues they can offer the viewer.
The works of Untethered offer a delicate balance of realism and abstraction, as well as the dichotomy between place and
non-place. These atmospheric and emotive works are a compelling take on contemporary landscape painting.
View these works at Black Door Gallery from Feb 7 and Feb 20. Contact us for further images of works, in situ
photography or videos of the works of this exhibition.
View the exhibition online:
https://www.blackdoorgallery.co.nz
Black Door Gallery
251 Parnell Road, Parnell
Entry FREE
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Monday - Friday, 10.00am - 5.00pm
Saturday, 10.00am - 4.00pm
Sunday, 11.00am - 3.00pm