Solo show 'Gestural Dialogues Between Past and Present’

'The death of water is to become air and the death of air is to become fire’

I am pleased to announce my solo show 'Gestural Dialogues Between Past and Present' in collaboration with the Regional Aeolian Archeological Museum “Luigi Bernabò Brea” and the Cultural Association Amaneï. The exhibition explores the inception and gestural expression of the creative thought, highlighting the connection between ancient and contemporary art through abstract works, merging the boundaries between drawing, painting, archeology, calligraphy and music.

Exhibition Statement

The emergence of the human species is closely intertwined with the advent of manifesting thought through art. That pivotal moment when communication transcended the basic expressions for survival towards the inception of human culture reflects an intrinsic, primitive - yet universal and indeed contemporary - drive to create and convey beauty. Disregarding the constraints of chronological order, this exhibition visually creates references to ancient cultures inspired by the legacy of local archeological findings from the prehistoric and classical periods whilst profoundly influenced by the artist’s experience living in the Middle East.  By embedding these references within her gestural marks, Cristine creates a dialogue between past and present, evoking the timeless nature of human expression.

'The death of water is to become air and the death of air is to become fire’ _ Preliminary sketch

In this body of work, the pieces on paper were formed in a raw, unmediated painting process inspired by primitive drawing vocabulary, whilst the large scale paintings on canvas emerged in the course of applying and covering countless layers of paint and drawing. The various stages of painting, painting over, crossing-out, scribbling blurring, blotching, writing and inscribing were purposely obscured, by superimposing the separate working steps in a way that rendered them virtually impossible to reconstruct while leaving some earlier traces still visible. These sediments of formal and substantial strata, traces of painting, drawing and writing are deposited in layers. These traces of meaning give rise to associations with archeological relics, as if they are excavated layer by layer by the viewer, prompting a reverse-engineered investigation of gesture.  

‘Gestural Dialogues Between Past and Present’ invites the viewer to a freely manuscriptive, calligraphic-style body of work which is heavily impacted by the rhythm and tempo of music played on repeat at the studio, a realm where writing, painting and drawing are not distinct disciplines - but intertwined means of expression. Indeed, this exhibition serves as a critical exploration of the enduring human impulse to communicate through art, providing insight into the universal language of creativity and evoking the primal, emotive power of art through gestural abstraction.

Detail of painting ‘Uprising’

The solo show 'Gestural Dialogues Between Past and Present’ will be held at the Punta Lingua Lighthouse Museum, Salina Island at the Aeolian Islands in Sicily from 26-31st July 2024. Opening times: Vernissage 26th July 6-8pm / 27-31st July: 2-8pm / finissage on 31st at 9pm with the jazz band Alibrand Trio, curated by the Cultural Association Amanei - Free entry.