This brings together new paintings by British artists Clare Woods and Caroline Walker for Frieze London. The presentation explores how these two women artists take on the role of observer in their work.
Clare Woods shares Walker’s interest in documenting everyday subjects, with both using their own photography to inform their work. Woods’ recent paintings have been preoccupied with destabilising traditional art historical genres such as portraiture, landscape and – as seen in this body of work – still life.
Woods’ new series depicts grand stone planters overflowing with foliage, drawing on photographs taken by the artist in Regent’s Park, London, twenty years ago. Combining oil and resin to “make the paint move”, the artist adjusts colour and tone through the weight of her brush as a sculptor might manipulate clay. Each work captures a static image, forcing the viewer to stop, observe and look anew at seemingly banal objects. Through this act of slowing down, Woods reveals the significance of gardens and parks in connecting us with nature in a fast-paced world. During the research for this series, she also began to notice the intrusive presence of weeds in London, comparing their resilience and adaptability with our own existence. Despite occupying a lowly position in art history, Woods deploys still life as a unique way to shed light on the human condition.