Isobel Rayson - For now

Artwork Description:

Throughout my practice, I explore themes of fragility and impermanence, as well as our instinctive need to seek order and structure, often expressed through repetitive processes that mark the passage of time.

'For now' features a series of long, wandering lines that weave and intersect across its surface. The lines are hand-carved through layers of paint, using fine ‘U’ and ‘V’ shaped gouges, revealing the raw wood beneath.

Wall-based relief wood carvings have been a central focus of my practice over the past ten years. Through these works, I am interested in contributing to a broader conversation on the definition of an extended contemporary drawing practice.

Artist Statement:

The act of making is integral to my artistic practice. Each body of work is guided by process-based methodologies and shaped by material experimentation. I approach my work methodically, engaging in repetitive and often laborious processes. This immersive practice cultivates a welcome sense of distance from the complexities of contemporary existence, providing moments of solace and space for contemplation.

As a multidisciplinary artist, my practice moves between sculpture, drawing, and assemblage. With a central focus on wall-based relief wood carvings, my practice extends to cast bronze, works on paper, and assemblages of found and constructed wood and paper.

Throughout my work, I explore our fragile and impermanent nature, as well as the instinctive need to seek order and structure, often expressed through repetitive processes that mark the passage of time. These themes regularly intersect with ideas of protection and the physical and emotional boundaries we construct in response.

Lived experience and the natural environment serve as enduring sources of quiet yet essential inspiration within my practice. Observations of formal elements in the landscape, such as form, pattern, and texture, alongside moments of personal reflection, inform initial concepts and the development of new work.