Bex Wilkinson
BEX WILKINSON
Bex Wilkinson's paintings can be described as a vivid exploration of the abstract and figurative, where the visceral meets the ephemeral. Her work is a dance of colors and forms, a visual symphony that captures the complexities of emotion and the subtleties of the human condition.
Wilkinson’s technique is reminiscent of the action painting of the Abstract Expressionists. Yet, it bears a personal stamp that is undeniably unique. The dynamic strokes, the splattering of paint, and the bold, sometimes almost violent application of color, create a sense of movement that is almost palpable. There is an urgency in her brushwork, a need to convey not just an image but a sensation, a feeling, an experience.
The palette Wilkinson employs is varied, but there is a predilection for vibrant hues that strike with force. Reds and oranges often dominate, suggesting a spectrum of emotions from passionate fervor to a quiet, burning intensity. Contrasting these are moments of calm, often articulated through cooler blues and greens, providing a visual rest, a space for reflection amidst the chaos.
Wilkinson’s subjects, though often abstracted to the point of disintegration, are rooted in the recognizable. There are hints of figures, animals, landscapes, and even narratives, but they are fragmented, deconstructed by the artist’s hand. This approach speaks to the transient nature of memory and the fragility of existence. The images seem to be in a state of becoming or unbecoming, caught in the act of formation or dissolution.
Her canvases are textured, not just with the physicality of thickly applied paint, but with the addition of materials that create a tactile experience. This layered approach adds depth and invites the viewer to look closer, to engage with the piece beyond the initial visual impact. There is a sense that each layer holds a story, a piece of a larger puzzle that Wilkinson is challenging us to solve.
The interplay between light and darkness in Wilkinson’s work is another critical aspect. It is not just a literal use of light shades against dark, but a metaphorical one. Her work explores the duality of the human experience, the light of joy and innocence against the darkness of pain and knowledge. This duality is never resolved but hangs in balance, a perpetual tension that is as unsettling as it is beautiful.
Wilkinson’s work often evokes a sense of place, though not in the traditional sense. It is not about the physicality of a location, but rather the essence of it. The spaces she creates are emotional landscapes, internal worlds made visible. They are places of refuge and danger, of clarity and confusion, of the known and the unknowable.
What is perhaps most compelling about Wilkinson’s art is its ability to communicate without words. The viewer is not so much observing a piece of art as engaging in a conversation with it. The paintings speak of life’s impermanence, of the joy and sorrow, of the beauty and destruction that is inherent in our world.
Bex Wilkinson’s paintings are a testament to the power of visual art to move, to provoke, to question, and to celebrate. They are a reflection of the artist’s bold vision and a profound commentary on the human experience. Each canvas is an invitation to the viewer to pause, to feel, to think, and ultimately, to connect with something fundamental and real.
Bex Wilkinson's canvases are a masterful display of emotional cartography, mapping the contours of the psyche with a brush and palette. Each stroke is deliberate, yet there's an underlying spontaneity that suggests a surrender to the moment, an embrace of the unconscious. Her art does not merely depict; it reveals, peeling back layers of the seen and the unseen, the said and the unsaid.
In her artworks Wilkinson engages in a dialogue with the formlessness of abstraction, yet she anchors her work in the bedrock of emotional truth. The abstractions are not random but feel like deliberate excavations into the human spirit. Each painting is an archeological dig into the layers of the soul, where every hue and every line unearths another aspect of our shared humanity.
Wilkinson's paintings, while deeply personal, achieve a universal language. They possess an innate ability to resonate with the viewer, to evoke a visceral response. This universality is the hallmark of her work, a bridge built from the personal to the collective. The emotions evoked are not hers alone but belong to anyone who stands before her work and allows themselves to feel.
Her figurative work, though often more representational, carries the same weight of abstraction. The figures are rendered with a raw honesty that strips away pretense. They stand, not as mere subjects, but as symbols of the complex narratives we all carry. Wilkinson's figures seem caught in moments of introspection, their gaze often averted, lost in thought, as if to suggest that the true essence of a person lies in their internal world.
The narrative quality of Wilkinson's work is subtle yet profound. There is a story in the interplay of color and texture, a narrative in the chaos and calm that coexist on her canvas. The viewer is compelled to piece together the story, to find meaning in the abstract forms, to connect the emotional dots that Wilkinson lays out with each brushstroke.
The physicality of her work cannot be overstated. There is a sculptural quality to her paintings, where the medium itself becomes a part of the message. The texture invites touch, blurring the line between the visual and the tactile. This physicality serves to ground the ethereal nature of her art, to remind us that emotions, while fleeting, have weight and substance.
Wilkinson’s art is a journey through the spectrum of human emotion, each painting a waypoint on a voyage that is both intensely personal and infinitely expansive. She does not shy away from the darkness, nor does she overindulge in light. Instead, she presents life as it is—a tapestry of light and shadow, woven with the threads of joy, sorrow, hope, and despair.
In closing, Bex’s art transcends the traditional boundaries of painting. Her work is a poignant reminder of the power of art to transcend language and to communicate on a deeper, more instinctive level. It is an ode to the complexity of the human condition, a celebration of our ability to feel deeply, and a recognition of the beauty inherent in our imperfections. Through her paintings, Wilkinson invites us to confront our own vulnerabilities, to recognize our own beauty, and to acknowledge the indelible marks that life leaves on us all.
By Marta Puig
Editor Contemporary Art Curator Magazine
