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Henrietta_Dubrey
Introduction to
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This collection of paintings and drawings is presented as an impromptu insight into my working process. I like to paint with an open mind, space to think and move, and to let the painting speak to me. The eventual outcome is therefore always a surprise, never predictable. It reflects my state of mind, what I’m watching, reading and listening to. The process is free to make twists and take turns whenever and wherever it chooses, between the genres of abstraction and figuration. The act of painting, for me, has changed quite dramatically throughout the course of my career. As a new art student I was wowed by the freedom to think my own thoughts, live my life with new meaningful and creative energy that had been stifled at school. My home life was idyllic, growing up at the foot of the South Downs, always encouraged to draw by my architect father. Inspiration came easily, one’s thoughts, ideas and dreams segued seamlessly in a constant connected flow. Thirty five years later, following eight years of London Art School, marriage, children, living in France, the advent of computers and mobile phones, and a move to West Cornwall, things feel rather different. I strongly believe that social media, although wonderful in many regards is stifling all our true creativity. In the book Bored and Brilliant by Manousch Zomorodi this is all discussed in detail. I found it a compelling read. I quote: “The explosive proliferation of digital images is one of the most fascinating, pervasive, and least manageable aspects of contemporary life.” p75 And this is exactly what I was experiencing: “My brain was always occupied, but my mind wasn’t doing anything with all the information that was coming in.” p3 And, to boot: “Studies suggest that to think original thoughts, we must put a stop to a constant stimulation.” p8 Hence, in this over-stimulated digital, fast-paced frenetic environment a return to quiet introspection, books, music, printed matter, hard copy that takes time to absorb, walks without headphones, sea swimming and growing vegetables seems to be the way forward. I find myself satisfied with occasional trips to London to engage in the current zeitgeist; and still, I am inevitably influenced by many different sources which enable me to keep my work fresh and diverse, but in the midst of this melee to retain my eye, my vision. Henrietta Dubrey July 2024
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