EMMA COPLEY (b.1979 Dublin)
I was born in Ireland, grew up in the United States, and live and work in the UK. My paintings – on wood panels, perspex, and paper – explore personal experiences of isolation, love, and connection. The bodies that I paint and draw are caught in motion; they are making recognisable gestures, dancing, swimming, moving together. I take pictures of these moments and then fold the photographs. Using the manipulated photo as a starting point, I create the composition and eliminate areas from the image in order to intensify the emotion.
Pale pink synchronised swimmers on top of long legs; two figures intimately connected over window fragments. Some works allow me to share a condensed view of how a feeling looks. Others tell a story of how feelings push and pull their way to the surface. The piece, ‘Swimmers on Top’, brings both versions together for a moment.
I paint in layers with thick oils on wood and smooth, flat gouache on paper. When using oils, I paint quickly with brushes and a palette knife – spreading globs of paint on a smooth hard surface, wet into wet, carving out forms and building up texture. The recognisable parts of the image and the texture of the thick paint draws you in, while unfinished areas allow your eye to complete the image and the smell of oil holds your attention.
My paintings begin with muted tones, mixing greys tinted with primary colour, ending with an infusion of bright colour that relates closely to these. I spend a lot of time looking at my palette and mixing groups of colour. Brushstrokes vary between smooth, slow, thoughtful marks and fast, thick layers of paint. Sometimes I tear up paintings and rearrange them to create new compositions – this has become an important part of my process.
My largest works are 14 metres long and the smallest are 15 x 22 centimetres. I am drawn to working on accordion books, wood panels, and window motifs and am interested in making more site specific painting installations. I find it useful to look at my work in terms of everyday technological practices used to make and disseminate information, interfaces, sources from which I gain the imagery and then make work from. Using the ‘Book of Love’ as a container to house private and personal paintings and allowing them to be viewed through unfolding, forced me to expose the fragility of my personal work and to trust the viewer to care for my life that was depicted on its pages. I welcome the viewer’s criticism and consideration, and aim to make my work more accessible and interesting to audiences through its format and presentation.
24 Portraits: Recovering and Reimagining Women’s Labour, University of Cambridge, permanent collection, 2020
All artwork and images are copyright © Emma Copley.