University of Guelph graduate Emma Carney creates beautifully enigmatic paintings full of deep purples and pops of vibrant colour. We are so jealous of this exciting body of work!
These paintings cause us to search far into their surface for possible subject matter and imagery, but they don't give up any of their secrets so we keep coming back for more. A layer of shimmery liquid, almost like the stain of gasoline, that appears in these works gives them amazing depth and texture. A wonderful tension is created when this muddy ground is disrupted with clean, bright, and controlled lines in contrastingly bright colours, giving these seemingly spontaneous paintings a decisive quality. Also, they have a richness that is created through Carney's layering of colour, which reminds us of the famous paintings by Jules Olitsky, especially the atmosphere of deep purples and blues in his work "Susie Wiles."
We love Emma Carney's mysterious, abstract paintings, and we're willing to bet she's got more amazing work up her sleeve! We hope her future works are still full of crisp lines, velvety surfaces, and her lovely combinations of both.
