London Paint Club

Cathleen Clarke
Born 1988 in Chicago, IL
Lives and works in Brooklyn, NY

Cathleen Clarke (b. 1988, Chicago, IL, lives and works in Brooklyn, NY) is a figurative painter whose work is deeply inspired by childhood and the enigmas that surround it. She has long explored the ever-profound themes of memory, mystery, and the passing of time through her portrayal of subjects, often appearing and disappearing as distorted figures in her work.

Each layer of paint is an attempt to interpret a moment in time that would have otherwise been overlooked or forgotten, and evokes a reminiscence that is slowly, and sometimes resistantly fading away.

Drawing from her personal experiences, Clarke’s work shares her affinity for the unexplained and unusual. Her subjects are often rendered through the use of contrasting themes – dark and light, hot and cold, left and right, or happy and melancholic expressions, leaving room for interpretation. She is deeply influenced by the personal experience of her childhood, and frequently references old family photo albums, collected letters and notes, as well as films and books that continue to pervade her own thoughts and memories.

Although Clarke may begin a painting from a concrete reference, as she paints, she looks at it less and less, allowing herself the chance to expose and interpret subtleties in everyday moments that are often unseen. Imagination and wonder become key elements in her work, and the reference becomes only a small piece in her process, sensed only as but a fleeting imprint embedded within the end result, creating the space for a life both beyond and outside of the original moment. Through her art, Clarke seeks to capture the fleeting essence of childhood and its enigmas, giving shape and colour to memories and emotions that are difficult to articulate in words, but that linger within us long after we have grown up.

Selected Works

Myth or Memory, 2022
Oil and acrylic on canvas
91.44 x 91.44 cm

Until You Climb Into His Skin, 2022
Oil and acrylic on canvas
50.8 x 76.2 cm

Jimmy In Lucinda's Eyes, 2022
Oil and acrylic on canvas
60.96 x 76.2 cm

All sales proceeds go directly to the artist.

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