Marianne Moore, b. 1982

Artist Statement

My work is intuitive and infused with themes of power and womanhood. Although predominantly expressing my inner state, my paintings also integrate external themes of femininity, freedom and social justice.

Inspired by painting and sculpture, I use thick oil paint, sometimes combined with other mediums such as charcoal, chalk and metallic mediums, to create highly textured paintings. I am interested in the dichotomy between order and chaos. My method is often a process of cathartic compulsion but at the same time I play with ordered empty spaces, deliberately leaving marked and lined parts of the canvas bare. The boundaries between painted and unpainted parts are demarcated by clear lines, or revealed by scratching away the painted parts.  

Themes of femininity and power infuse my work. Evolving from a tentative and messy exploration of my own femininity into a more commanding and celebrated assertion of womanhood. The baby pink Corset 1 (2018) speaks of tearing out of the confines of patriarchal life, yet it retains a soft, minimalist femininity. Following this, the more overt, The Limelight (2019), is an unashamed declaration of life in the spotlight, where women can be centre stage.

In essence, my work is an externalisation of my inner life, partly self-portraits in abstract form. I am inspired by my own emotions, body, experiences, dreams, and relationships. The work of Agnes Martin, Jenny Saville, Jason Martin, Alberto Giacometti and Judy Chicago also inspire me. My background in women’s rights and international social justice, as well as my research into women’s power in prehistory and mythology, also strongly influences my work, for example in the paintings Aphrodite and Medusa.