Studio Notations
OP 1
acrylic
40x30
For the month of June, the Underground Gallery will be exhibiting Harriett Watson’s acrylic paintings.
Studio Notations is an experimental body of work for Watson as her art-making practice evolves toward abstraction. Watson explains the shift she has felt in her work: “My work before this has primarily been self portraits where I was trying to figure out who I was at the time and wanted to channel my experience as a black woman into my work. I used to focus on my literal self and my identity.” Now, Watson doesn’t want to focus on herself or personal expression; rather, she wants to pull from outside sources for inspiration.
The title of Watson’s show, Studio Notations, reflects her process of making and the creative direction she wants to move in: “It relates to indexing, or taking notes and record of brush strokes that I’ve made on my pallet.” This transition started when, one day in the studio, Watson ran out of pallet paper and used a Vogue magazine as a make-shift pallet. She got inspired by the marks and dried paint and decided to make the pallet into her work. Then, in turn, she took another magazine cover to use as a pallet. This began a cyclical process for Watson and also deepened her interest in the role of sustainability in art.
C-3
mixed media
8x10
“When we make art we need to find a way to be sustainable. I'm excited to find meaning in something that might have been thrown away. We should be open to reusing items and find meaning where meaning wasn’t found before.”
Choosing to be led by her intuition has been exciting for Watson: “It feels like I am free and I'm embracing the randomness in a way that is exploring how much control I desire, or how much I need to let go of.”
The show can be viewed anytime in Underground Gallery during the month of June during Gallery Hours: Monday – Friday from 9 a.m. - 5 p.m. The works can additionally be viewed and purchased on our online gallery through July.