Most paintings require a leap of faith of some sort – trusting an object is real, believing in the life of a landscape, or extending empathy to a lone figure really before us. In the work of artist Emma-Louise Grady, the viewer is asked less for their faith, than their upmost attention.
Made up of a compression of dots, dashes, and undulating lines, each richly calibrated piece invites us to speculate, daring viewers to resist their spellbinding hypnotism. In celestial-like markings, the work brings up a barrage (or mirage) of associations – twisting paisleys, peacock feathers, fossilised shells and more - seem to pulsate under the gaze. Both ornamental and refined, motifs collate as if the complexities of a cell structure had been viewed under a microscope.
Hailing from Scotland, Grady has already garnered buzz and attention since graduating in 2019. She recently exhibited work in the Royal Scottish Academy’s ‘New Contemporaries 2020’ show, winning the Fleming-Wyfold Foundation Award for ‘best painter or draughtsman/woman’. In 2019 she also won the John Kinross Scholarship, to work and study in Florence – using the opportunity to explore new mediums and invent new compositions.
Since her 2019 residency and graduation, Grady has been working as an independent artist-in-resident for Enterprise Mentoring, toiling away in her city-centre Glasgow studio to refine and extend her practice. What we do know is that her process involves a steady layering of paint; she works up depth so that in the end, only glimpses of an abyssal black can be seen her through colourful ribboned and purled forms. Grady also selects only five or six colours per piece, focusing the eye on the marks themselves, as if directing viewers to read her work like hieroglyphics. Each piece takes on a personality of its own.
Emma-Louise's work was selected for the 2023 RSA Annual Exhibition, and she was also awarded the Scottish Artists Benevolent Association Award.
Artist statement
My paintings explore the practice of intuitive mark-making. Inspired by my surroundings which influence my creative process. Through the exploration of patterns and aesthetics my work represents a sense of freedom and fluidity. Colour is an important part of my process and is used as the main guideline to inspire my mark-making. The patterns created are unique to each painting, which allows them to stand on their own. Each piece created has endured a variety of process stages, allowing it to have a significant amount of layering to each painting, creating a sense of depth. Working on larger scale boards allows my patterns to be thoroughly detailed, producing an intense and vibrant aesthetic. Limiting my colour selection to only five or six colours benefits the aesthetic appeal as it generates focus on the marks made. My work represents an intuitive lead, mark-making process which I hope to entice and excite the viewer with.
