Ethereal
Exhibition Essay: ‘Ethereal’ by Taylor Denning
Words by Louella Hayes
Atmospheric and transportive, a series of new works by Taylor Denning takes root in the landscape of the Western Australian wheatbelt, yet was born from a much deeper connection: the bond between father and daughter. Imbued with a deeply personal narrative about love and isolation in a rural setting, Denning’s works are a testament to the interactions and moments that bind and define family life, despite interludes of physical separation.
To be exhibited at The Farm Margaret River from 16 January 2021, Denning’s new works are compellingly relevant, at a time when connection across boundaries means more than ever. Autobiographically charged moments are represented with oil paint on canvas, each painting depicting a fragment of the landscape on her father’s property in the small wheatbelt town of Pingelly.
Denning works from her studio in Fremantle and visits her father on his rural property each month. The pair traverse the landscape together during her visits. “We’ll go on walks, sometimes twice a day,” she says, “It’s when we have our chats. I use my iPhone to take photos – of crops or red dirt, granite stone covered in beautiful moss – then I go back to my studio and start layering my paint.”
The works themselves are more atmospheric than realistic: they are emotional responses to the walks with her father, framed by the artists observations of the landscape as it shifts and changes in response to an often harsh climate. A conduit back to those precious moments, Denning's paintings reinforce familial connection through a shared experience of the remote, isolated property. They speak of the higher forces of love, loneliness and the unknown, yet are grounded in the physical, the earth.
Tonal, buttery-rich abstractions of light and shade, Denning’s works are built up over weeks by layering oils in earthy tones, from ochres to greys. Ranging in scale from 24cm to 87cm, all works in this series are presented in a square format, to avoid associations with doors or windows; Denning does not want you to look for a horizon line. “Square was a bit more ambiguous,” she says, “it is almost a portal.”
The artist aims to intrigue and hold the gaze. In contemplating these beautiful works, perhaps we each may find a moment to reflect on how we connect with those we love, whether near or far.