Vagary

‘Vagary,’ meaning to wander, or a sudden change in a situation, is a collection of art-works that delve deeper into the eclipse symbology that Candice Black has adopted in her art practice as a means of expressing the experience of being female and associations of fertility.

Through iteration of this symbology, she has explored the relationships between forms on the canvas, looking at notions of being ‘just.’ Colour is experimented with following her ‘Counterfeit’ primary colours limitation, to see how hues work with each other on a larger scale. Finding the process of painting in oils a meditative one, she sought to work into the eclipse theme and see what appeared in these artworks. The process proved to be a valuable one, where she learned how to create simple artworks that convey more meaning.

The eclipse: a symbol of transition, darkness, light, and the experience of witnessing an eclipse firsthand- bring forth connotations of uncertainty and hope. Exploring themes of female identity further, she has adopted other forms of symbology to portray experience. It was important to the artist to take her experimentation and find what more a creative idea could offer.

A series of five paintings. Each painting features a dark green checker board painted on to natural canvas, leaving the canvas exposed. Black and white oil paint is smeared into the centre of each painting by hand, the paint mixing together to form grey.

A series of thirteen large and small paintings. Each painting features circular forms and discs painted on to the canvas in hues of red, sky blue, navy blue, brown, and taupe; against navy blue and black backgrounds. The circular forms are positioned in a just placement, to achieve harmony and balance. Some circular forms take the shape of an eclipse. Other circular forms collide with one another.

A series of five mixed media artworks. Each artwork is composed of collaged photocopies of buildings, roses, trees, locks, and hand written diary excerpts from when the artist was being medically examined for signs of cancer. Some artworks are spray painted with puzzle pieces, others feature lino printed dices.

A series of twelve collages featuring cuttings from magazines and newspapers. Images of models, jewellery, swimming pools, and upmarket setting are juxtaposed with headings and text to create a new narrative.

A diptych of collages featuring cut out headlines that form new narratives about free speech and the UK general election of 2024. Headlines and text such as ‘Evil of War,’ ‘Better Nasty News,’ ‘Keir: I Will Rule With An Iron Grip,’ illustrate the tensions between a right wing media press and the possibility of a third world war breaking out.

A series of six small paintings displaying imagery of the sea tide. The paintings are made with the thick application of paint and rough brush strokes. Hues of blue, green, mixed with white, form breaking waves.