Sophie von Hellermann : Elephant in the Room

25 May-26 Aug 2013

Overview

von Hellermann’s large-scale, narrative paintings have been described as a ‘fluid, acrylic meltdown of images from books, films, art history, the media and her own life’. Using rapid, broad brushstrokes to apply pure pigment to unprimed canvas, her images have a hazy, translucent character that instils a dream-like quality in her work. Predominantly figurative, her compositions often use landscapes as a projection of an inner, psychological drama in a manner that suggests associations with a Romantic tradition in painting. Her work draws upon personal experience, encompassing first-hand encounters and observations as well as those mediated via film, fiction, historical literature and the mass media.