Marianne Moore, b. 1982

Artist Statement

Inspired by both painting and sculpture, I use extremely thick oil paint on canvas, sometimes combined with other mediums such as charcoal, chalk and metallic mediums, to create highly textured abstract paintings.

My method has grown from cathartic compulsion into a more considered set of compositions where I have introduced ordered empty spaces, deliberately leaving marked and lined parts of the canvas bare. I am interested in further exploring this dichotomy between order and chaos. It feels important to create boundaries within my paintings between messy expressive elements and ordered unpainted parts.

Through my work I am trying to externalise what is going on for me inside, as well as commenting on women’s power in history, mythology, and religion. I am inspired by my own emotions, body, experiences, dreams, and relationships. My background in women’s rights and international social justice, as well as my research into women’s power in prehistory, has also become a strong influence in my work.

I believe that through my paintings I am trying to remind myself and other women of their power.