Hiatus

A British artist is exhibiting her paintings in Malta for the first time, in Gozo to be precise.

Charlotte Wallis studied art at the University of Hertfordshire, UK, and has travelled vastly in order to garner her own aesthetic.

Wallis has held residencies in France, India and Finland and has been an established artist for over 10 years throughout which period she has participated in several exhibitions. She received the Young Artist Award at the Society of Women Artists Open Exhibition.

Wallis chose a quaint location to be able to produce her more recent artworks... this is because she has for the past year made Qala her home. Prior to that, she lived in France for five years.

Horizon Triptych

Although resembling landscapes and seascapes, Wallis’s exhibited paintings are seemingly abstract, thus allowing for a very personal interpretation of the scenes.

Brought together for this collection, the works have provided the exhibition’s title of Into the Void. The word ‘void’ is key to this collection. Wallis explains that the starting point for the exhibition was the Japanese word Ma that can be described as the space between two parts, an interval. This is significant to Wallis because of the consequential space between the painting and the viewer.

One of the paintings is, in fact, adequately titled Gap. This painting is composed of cool and dark tones that inhabit the edges and which, through a lot of sfumato of the oil medium, becomes lighter towards the centre where two entities almost interact. The space between them is further emphasised by a white daub of paint.

Similar in tone and composition, albeit gloomier, is Vanishing Point that may carry the same significance as Gap.

It is clear that nature is Charlotte Wallis’s main source of inspiration

Other works are warmer in tone. Hieroglyph contains a lot of movement in the brushwork and the title and non-representational subject matter adds to its intrigue.

Hollow has the added interest of the bold red structure that emerges from a light-coloured background of a similar texture. They are moments frozen in time. More colour was employed in Rapture that is also close in disposition to Hollow.

Gap

Among other works Hiatus reveals that these oil paintings are conceived by adding layers upon layers of paint, adding to their visual interest and impact.

The paintings appear to portray misty horizons. In fact, one of the exhibits, a triptych, bears the title Horizon. And yet, because these compositions are so vague, they intentionally allow the viewer to interpret the themes independently of the subject matter.

It is clear that nature is Wallis’s main source of inspiration. Her paintings are a response to the way man should approach the environment, that is with sensitivity. And glancing at any of these works is an experience into an infinite realm, a realm that is relatively unknown, but which does not bring with it any uncertainty.

Hollow

The most abstract among the exhibits must be Parenthesis, that, as the title suggests, should sum up the spirit of the exhibition.

These mesmerising works showcase Wallis’s ability at painting light and all of the paintings are executed with a fluid handling of the oil medium. This trait is reminiscent of Romantic landscape paintings of the 19th century for which there was a flourish-ing market, although these were, more often than not, very detailed landscape views

Wallis has chosen Gozo as her home and is anything but a passive villager. On the other hand, she is an active member of the artistic scene in Gozo.

Wallis is also working on an exhibition to be held at the Citadel later on this year.

Into the Void is open until Friday at Art..e Gallery, Victoria.