Yahoo News Jessica Rankin’s inspiring works are on display at White Cube
There are so many wonderful things to look forward to as galleries re-open, and a particular highlight is the Australian artist Jessica Rankin’s exhibition at White Cube Bermondsey.
Launching online today and scheduled to open in person from 13 April, the show presents new mixed-media paintings as well as works on paper that mark a significant shift within Rankin’s practice.
Known for her large-scale embroidery, collages and watercolours exploring cartography and astronomy with text to create “mental maps”, Rankin’s recent pieces focus on the language of painting, veering into the realm of abstraction. Created in the aftermath of the 2016 US election, the New York-based artist looked to ideas of joy, intimacy and desire, and they ways in which they can be used to resist social and political turmoil.
Drawing on a wide range of influences, including poetry and literature, Rankin describes the work as evolving from “a place of free-fall”, explaining that she was constantly trying to keep herself “off-balance in the process of making”. This translates into the work as she plays with asymmetry with symmetry, shifting between mediums of thread and paint to evoke a sense of physical energy and movement.
High Thought Tunes incorporates loose hanging threads that mirror the vibrant splashes of colour beneath, while Strange Currents contrasts expressive paintwork with densely sewn threads reminiscent of flight paths in a wide-open sky.
The exhibition will also show a new series that Rankin completed during the 2020 lockdown, which combines vibrant watercolours with meticulous, delicate stitching. Using a warm palette, these works glow with the promise of new beginnings and artistic freedom.
For more information and to view the exhibition virtually, visit www.whitecube.com.
