And So Another Summer is Sydney-based Sophie Gralton’s eighth solo exhibition with Anthea Polson Art. Beyond hot weather, the title elicits memories of times filled with youthful vitality and optimism. As such, her paintings again feature children and their “conversations with nature”. There is usually a dog in attendance – a companion long associated with loyalty and protectiveness. Living in a beach locale, Gralton has ample opportunity to observe the antics of youngsters along the shoreline.
The Girl in the Cream Hat is a prime example. Carrying a yellow bucket, the child has her face characteristically turned from the viewer, for as Gralton stresses, there is no need to know whom the subject is – it can be any child. We are encouraged to respond not solely to the subject matter but also to the aesthetic signals the painting communicates.
In this quest Gralton employed a direct technique that engendered a visceral reaction. Figure and ground vacillate: the fluidity of time evoked. The painting is large, its size allowed Gralton to wield her brush and palette knife without constraint. Surfaces pulsating in oil colours and gestural markings convey the natural world’s grandeur. The undercoat of red primer is left apparent in certain areas to amplify the verve.
Of a different ilk is the Night Swim work that depicts a boy about to enter a pool of dark water. Pictorially predominant, the yellow floats around his arms and a frolicsome dog swimming towards him may represent a blithe confidence when adventuring into the ‘great unknown’.
Gralton hopes that the viewer will resonate with the portrayed scenarios and perchance recall one’s own childhood experiences of summertime enjoyment in radiant realms beyond contemporary concerns.
JACQUELINE HOUGHTON
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