Gillian Carnegie

Gillian Carnegie's singular paintings have been extensively exhibited and discussed for two decades, but this is the first substantial publication on her work. Her paintings are explicitly analytical, systematic, and oblique in their reexamination of traditional painting genres, suggesting that there is a subject and a story, but the painting exists to conceal it. Carnegie's work is unique in its emotional tenor and stands apart in contemporary painting.

Format: Hardback
Length: 144 pages
Publication date: 03 September 2020
Publisher: Lund Humphries Publishers Ltd

British artist Gillian Carnegie's singular paintings have garnered extensive exhibition and discussion over nearly two decades, yet this marks the first substantial publication dedicated to her work. Carnegies artistic approach is characterized by an explicit analytical and systematic nature, yet it remains oblique in its reexamination of traditional painting genres such as still life, landscape, portraits, and the nude. These genres, often referred to as "subjectless" due to their absence of a specific subject matter, are reimagined by Carnegie through a nuanced lens.

It is important to note that her impulse to revive these categories is far from being mere formalism, historicism, academic reverence, postmodern pastiche, or nostalgia. Rather, her paintings suggest that there is a subject, a story, waiting to be revealed, but that the painting itself exists as a means to conceal it, to hold it incommunicado. This enigmatic quality gives her work a distinct emotional tenor that sets it apart in contemporary art.

Carnegie's paintings are characterized by a quiet, calm, and unnervingly uncanny presence. They evoke a sense of mystery and intrigue, inviting viewers to engage with the layers of meaning and symbolism embedded within the images. Her use of color, texture, and composition creates a sense of depth and dimension, transporting the viewer into a world of contemplation and introspection.

Through her work, Carnegie challenges the traditional notion of painting as a means of communication and instead proposes that it can be a tool for concealment and introspection. She invites viewers to explore the depths of the painting, to decipher the hidden messages and narratives that lie beneath the surface, and to engage with the artwork on a personal and intimate level.

In conclusion, Gillian Carnegie's singular paintings have been exhibited and discussed extensively for nearly two decades, yet this first substantial publication offers a deeper understanding of her artistic vision. Through her oblique reexamination of traditional painting genres and her insistence on concealment and introspection, Carnegie creates a quiet yet powerful presence in contemporary art. Her work invites viewers to engage with the mysteries of the painting, to explore the depths of their own emotions and experiences, and to discover the hidden stories that lie within the images.

Weight: 1054g
Dimension: 248 x 288 x 21 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781848222694