A deep reverence for nature and wildness is infused into Rosannagh’s work through an alchemical painting language that focuses on the symbolism of material, the transformative effects of the elements, AND THE human IMPACT On wilderness
Her painting process considers the alchemy of material alongside assigned human notions of allegory, combining these perspectives to visualise ecology, the elements, climate change, and the raw power of nature. Symbolic and unconventional materials are mixed in experimental ways that work with, rather than against, the transformative effects of fire, rain, ice, time or gravity. By combining traditional painting media and unconventional found materials and processes, her work transcends the confines of conventional painting, occupying a space of expanded contemporary painting practice. Her tools are brush, canvas, paint and pigment - but also fire, soot and ash; rain, river and sea; salt, ice and rock; gravity, time and weather; gold, rust and pollution. While considering the assigned symbolic identity of these materials, Rosannagh experiments with their alchemical qualities to create visualisations of time, place, ecology, the elements, the climate, and human impact.
“Living at a time of climate crisis, we are more aware than ever that the balance of nature can shift dramatically between destruction and creation. My approach to painting swings on that same pendulum. It’s a fluid process where earth, air, fire, water and ice play active roles, and marks and textures are built up organically. Pigment is layered in splashes, daubs and washes, and marks are scorched, scratched or ground into the surface of the canvas. It’s quite a feral approach to painting that I think comes from my deep love and respect for wild, elemental places. It's that untameable, indomitable spirit that I find so enthralling - the wildness of it all.”
View Works
FOR MORE INSIGHT INTO SOME OF THE WAYS IN WHICH ROSANNAGH PAINTS, PLEASE CLICK ON THE VIEWING ROOMS BELOW:
