Clare Brodie, ‘Illuminating Moments,’ 2022
Essay by Lana Hoffman,
C Studio Gallery Group

“This series explores physical and metaphysical moments of illumination.​ ​Whether it is a back-lit leaf, an iridescent refraction or the lucid reflection from when we stand still, we find our place within the larger continuum.​ ​Evocative, non-associated colour palettes quietly build up in thin layers, revealing an​ ​​ethereal atmosphere.​ ​The work’s stylised visual language is formed by patterns of oscillating, floating forms and​ ​the rhythm of tree trunks through which elusive shapes weave. The recurring presence of​ ​three moons in contracting sizes accentuates illusions of breadth and distance.​ ​A new understanding is found as landscape emerges through mindscape, and the macro​ ​and micro converge.”

Clare Brodie’s latest body of work, ‘Illuminating Moments,’ is an odyssey, crossing the realm​ ​of g has​ ​progressively embraced the heterogeneity with which individuals and communities​ ​subjectively experience, value and express place and time. Through her evolving practice,​​Brodie has challenged herself to experiment with more abstracted notions of landscape, and​ ​in doing so believes that her true self is gradually revealed.​ ​

Brodie’s process is measured but still instinctual. Sewing a continual visual language, each​ ​consecutive canvas elaborates on the former, introducing new aesthetic variations. As the​ ​series unfolded, Brodie focused on modulating form and colour in order to execute a holistic​ ​balance. The result becomes a cathartic experience for the viewer who in moments of​ ​illumination is transported from the physical to the metaphysical.

“I am always looking for illumination, I look for sign posts on what I should lean into. My art is​ ​my calm, it is the way I move forward, it makes sense, It is how I decipher the noise – and​ ​step by step I find my truth, my power- I find my way.” – Clare Brodie, 2022