Storyteller in the Dark

It’s a natural human trait to find stories in the world around us. From justifying our experiences with “everything happens for a reason” to pointing out shapes in cloud formations, creating a narrative is both instinctual and imaginative. Neuroscientists have even named this tendency ‘pareidolia’; the human ability to see shapes or make pictures out of randomness. Even in music, there’s the wonderful sounding mondegreen — a misinterpreted (but still meaningful) phrase resulting from a misheard song lyric. No matter the level of clarity and no matter how much is revealed to us, mistakes become a thing of play and thrill where we get to improvise meaning from whatever we’ve got.

Art is no exception. Often the more mysterious the work, the more narrative that can be imbued in the cracks and silences. This curation was informed by this, as our Director Sarah says of the works: “They have something of that almost half light about them, with hidden depths, texture, and richness. Qualities that can give a piece narrative”.

For example, Tom Hemming’s “Cornish Interior” literally holds space in the warm half-light of a cosy early evening. The figure’s identity is in flux, Hemming using dynamic ribbon-like brushstrokes, perhaps in reflection of the busy mind in contemplation, even as the setting appears outwardly calm. Or Charlotte Brisland’s gorgeously sinister “Soft Cream”, which creates a dreamlike playground for the mind to roam. Mapping an orange sundown and vacant diner-stop in the woods, Brisland works in the whims of Americana with the depth of private mystery. 

With mannequins, boxing boys, spiritual guides… this curation is filled with the vibrant characters of a dream that might have faded by the morning. It gives you a chance hold on to them for a little bit longer.

Artworks can be purchased with an interest free loan. Selected OwnArt at checkout.