Cathy Hegman returns to TEW Galleries in 2018 with a bold new exhibition that juxtaposes elements of highly abstracted landscape, animals and figures. The paintings employ a layered imagery that builds an emotional narrative which encourages the viewer to dig deep into their own psyche to discover personal viewpoints and meaning for the symbols presented.
Hegman, who lives on a farm, reflects the emotional relationship that exists between creatures and figures, both of which inhabit undefined or fragmented landscapes. Using loose brushwork, drawn or scratched marks and a palette of velvety hues she layers these traditional figurative and landscape elements onto a minimalist structure. This unique approach allows the viewer to reach into visual realms that might otherwise be inaccessible – much like viewing their own image reflected back in unfamiliar surroundings. In a departure from past shows this body of work focuses on memory and imagination, which she alludes to in the use of lush, nuanced and moody layers of paint, as well as some of the symbolism we have seen in earlier shows – the recurring use of koi fish drawn to reflect a circular motif as a symbol of purity and nature and the female figure – an echo of the artist herself. New images of ‘spirit animals’ deer, a bear, and the ever recurring boats and water analogies combine to make this a deeply satisfying show.