Bridget Simons
In the oil paintings that constituted the body of work submitted for my M.F.A. degree, I explored
the liminal spaces of daydreaming. My interest in emotional liminal spaces continues in my current
creative work, in water colour on paper and oil on board.
The sea is the focus of most of my paintings in that it is a quintessential liminal space: the sea
symbolises the unknown and has become synonymous with the ongoing refugee crisis. The ‘in-
between’ status of refugees and migrants embodies liminality and, as such, my work includes
references to the current refugee crisis and migration in general.
Given that migration has been a feature of human existence worldwide for millennia, I overlay
references to many eras and cultures in much of my work. Migration is difficult on many levels, none
the least of which is navigation. It is difficult to cross the open ocean, or indeed the land, with no
navigational instruments or the skill to read maps. To highlight the problems of navigation, I use a
range of obscure or little-known maps in my paintings, from star charts to ancient Islamic maps and the stick charts unique to the indigenes of the Marshall Islands.
The scale of most of my paintings is intimate, with a view to invite private engagement with each
work. To evoke the feeling of disorientation intrinsic to liminal spaces, I use abstraction in some
paintings and use both aerial and eye-level perspectives, solid shapes and outlines. Because the
square has no orientation, I use the square format to suggest stability, calm and timelessness to
counter the turmoil engendered by current unprecedented global challenges.
Life today feels like a frighteningly liminal space, but liminal spaces often herald positive growth.
Read More
There are currently no artworks by this artist available on Latitudes. Please contact info@latitudes.online if you would like us to source works.
