On Wednesday, the 23rd of March, I went to an exhibition titled the female Gaze which was at Nottingham Castle about women and how we see ourselves, painted by an amazing painter. It was the first time I had been there since it was made new and shining. The work of two female artists was featured in the exhibition: a substantial selection of paintings completed by the Edwardian artist Dame Laura Knight, who came from Long Eaton and a smaller selection of works by the contemporary artist Caroline Walker, who is from Dunfermline.
I headed to the building, walked up about three flights of stairs, and arrived at the gallery space taken in by its newness. Once I got to the floor, I was fully aware of the artist who was there. Laura Knight’s work; Wow! Stunning paintings in a space that complemented them. With the classic modern twists of the room, having a painting and merging it on the walls like wallpaper almost like you get in a shop when you get an item of clothing on a model, and then you have a photo in the background with someone wearing the piece of clothing. So, the emphasis is on the piece of work.
I do not know if I have seen this done before in an exhibition where art is featured as the main attraction. I feel I have seen this done in a historical place such as museum where they are highlighting a historical piece. I know the castle is a museum and maybe this is how they may like to put the emphasis on someone who happens to be a local artist. I would be curious to know if any other exhibitions are done this way within Nottingham Castle. Within the gallery I feel it pulled you in with large scale wallpaper sized images of paintings by Laura Knight which were in the colours and the textures and the space which complimented them being a modern/ classic exhibition space.
There was a particular painting that was of a lady that I am unsure of. She had fabric laying over her shoulders while she sat there with exposed flesh open comfortable. She does not appear to be seeking attention that sexualises her or in any way that leans into the male gaze vision or plays up in a way that is not a modern female. She is peacefully content within the image simply being pure, nothing is fabricated. Laura appears to capture a woman in her own moment. This is the beautiful thing about her work, you feel you are in it. There is confidence within this work that she can be in a world that is not her own and to see, observe, taste and is engrossed in such a painting that you just feel a part of it,as if you could be there.
A Theatre Dressing Laura knight art uk.org
Women auxiliary service 1941 mesum crush.org
Caroline Walker is an artist who is also very good at being a fly on a wall in an environment and bringing to incite an audience through painting, delivering worlds known and unknown to many. Her work appears to compliment Laura Knight’s work for they both have a similar respect for a view of seeing the truth and not manipulating. This year I first saw this work in an art gallery in Wolverhampton. This was of a black woman at home and is part of a series of paintings placed together titled ‘Women's Work’ which was of various paintings of women doing work at home or out of home, sharing the many different worlds of different women with different ethnic and economic backgrounds. In her layering down, she also has a way of capturing a space through the paint like a photographer. What do I mean by that statement? There is something quite intimate still with all that is captured that feels detailed and angled like a photo and makes you look in and draws you in being a fly on a wall?
Now to compare Laura and Caroline. These are both high-quality painters who can get within a space and capture a moment that appears authentic down to the smallest detail and have you looking at every little space
Laura was born in the late 1800s and her work appears complimentary to the space as pulled in with the floweriness. However, Caroline's work has an equal strength with her painting as I said earlier, they match. However, her work is of a modern time, so we are seeing a different style with modern clothing. Although both works complement one another, I feel that Laura Knights work should be in a traditional gallery because of the classy, old style. Caroline Walker had a modern minimal look which I feel would work in a modern cube gallery-like Nottingham Contemporary. I feel like there was a grandness, a traditional look, complimentary to Laura Knight. However, as you walk further along there appears less love and care.
