#20 - Heather Day on Abstraction
We all see things differently, but Heather Day filters color in a particular way. Quite late in life she found out that she has synesthesia. She works intuitively, often pushing paint around and recalls an obsession with color from an early age. Over the years her studio and paintings have grown larger. From pastels on paper, via wider brushes on canvas to murals and spray paint, her whole body is always involved in the act of painting. She speaks on how she decides when a work is finished; the evolution of a painting from the materials touching, to the making of the painting and documentation.
This is a special episode made in collaboration with Royale Projects, on the occasion of the group show If You Steal My Sunshine - California Abstraction Now, installed in the gallery November 3 – December 22, 2019
At the end of the episode, director Rick Royale speaks about how this group show came about. He and his team employed an unusual work method, sourcing the participating artists via Instagram. Narrowing down the search they found a group of six artists that had no obvious connection between them. Even so, the communalities found online presented a group of younger female artists that all have a connection to California and work with abstraction.
The exhibition titled after a song feels as sparkly, bright and positive as the one hit wonder from the 90s. The song If You Steal My Sunshine, a mix of different styles and genres, however, contains an eerie underlaying threat - what would indeed happen if that sunshine got stolen?
Sound engineer: Nate Kohrs