I have always worked in between the realms of the abstract and the figurative. With these paintings, I wanted to show the application and the workings of both on the same plane.

To get to this point, I had to construct, deconstruct and reconstruct again. This involved painting large figurative works on paper then deconstructing them either my cutting or ripping them apart. The large cut outs - abstracts - were then placed on the canvas using the canvas ground as part of the painting; this freed up both the optical and spatial aesthetics of the work. The gestural lines that at times follow the abstract and at other times branch off on their own, also allows the work to develop spatially and expand.

The size of the canvass also was also an integral part of the art works evolvement. The combination of vibrant colours, gestural lines and the positive use of negative space give the figures room to breath, evolve and come to life. There is a strong ‘Joie de vivre’ about these paintings: Big, sensual and beautiful, which I find can only be captured on a large scale.

I see Abstracting the Figure as a testament to my existence as an artist between the two worlds of Abstraction and Figuration. Flipping back and forth, using the female figure as a tool of connection between the two: I am a hybrid of both and in being so, created my own language and identify.

Colette Standish 2016