When
we first approach Roz Avent's work
we see human-like figures, creatures that are part human and part
animals which seem to be playing human roles. All these creatures
are set in the midst of a physical dialogue. We are not aware of
what has happened before or what is to happen next, but it is
apparent that we are in the middle of an encounter that is ongoing
and may be fraught with danger.
The
bright colours that Roz uses recollect our childhood picture books,
but this is a trick. The creatures within the work are not so benign
as those in our childhood stories and the bright colour instead of
being joyful brings a heightened sense of urgency and friction to the
work. This feeling of tension and oddness is increased by Roz's use of
black lines to clearly contain each object in the picture, so that
they become isolated both physically and psychologically.
Perhaps
there could be seen a connection between Roz's creatures and the
monster in the tales by the Grimm Brothers. But Roz's stories, (if
that is what these works contain, we are not sure), are not so
obviously nasty as the gruesome Grimms' fairy tales. Instead there is
an uncertainty about the status of the figures who are involved in
some unknown but not haphazard occurrence. We sometimes perceive a
figure with which we have sympathy only to discover that they are not
what they seem. These works disturb our confidence in our perception
of reality. They ask questions about what really is happening and they
show aspects of life that we suspect are not meant for public viewing.
Roz's
work could be about the unconscious; but is could also be about a
questioning of what is 'real' and it could be about our memories of
the past. When we look at Roz's work, it seems so familiar; its
subject matter is something we feel sure that we have seen somewhere.
But we are unable to recollect where we have seen it or what it means.
It is as though we get a glimpse of a reality that is very very
important - a secret understanding of a different existence is there,
just beyond the canvas, but we can't quite reach it.
Roz
Avent's paintings are surprising and seductive.
The bright colours are inviting, comforting, in the way that a
children's book is inviting and comforting and certainly the imagery
reminds one of the fairground or circus. The colour then grabs the
attention and invites you into a sometimes sinister and provocative
world. A psychological world that asks questions about the nature and
expression of female sexuality and the dangers of stepping outside of
the gender rôle stereotype.
A
naked woman dances with a fully clothed man in a costume resembling
nineteenth century battle dress.
A
woman reveals a leg and at the same time shrinks from the man who is
kissing her hand.
A
mother protects her child whilst a man with a head like a metallic
skull looks over her shoulder.
There
is the threat of hidden danger or, that not all is quite what it
seems, which is all the more powerful when set in the context of
childhood paraphernalia. The paintings are rich in colour and content
and are often playful, there are echoes or suggestions of a bygone era
which evokes memory and carries the viewer back into their own
childhood imaginings. There is often much happening within the one
painting and the background narrative is as rich as the foreground.
These paintings work because of the contrast between the form and the
content, they are thought provoking and even sometimes disturbing.
I'm
looking forward to seeing how this work develops in the future!
