Aimee Sully
Sulley's is about the process of painting itself and ‘palimpsest’ – the visual history of the artwork through the non-representational marks left behind. This is typically done within the paintings by layering acrylic paint and sometimes emulsion with wooden blocks, palette knives, sponges, cardboard, and paintbrushes to cover the canvas in abstract marks using a variety of different colours, with the painting becoming more textural the more layers are applied.
In the attempt to achieve palimpsest, she hopes to draw the viewer in to look at the many layers of paint in relation to the artwork’s journey to ensure there is equal importance with each layer in representing the work’s visual history.
In order to make the earlier marks more visible to further present palimpsest as well as show the contrast of imagery between layers, masking tape is gradually placed onto the canvas during the painting’s process until the work is deemed complete, where it is all removed to reveal these earlier marks that were not touched by newer layers. The tape is applied relatively randomly around the canvas similarly to the all-over placement of paint on every layer, the canvas worked on unstretched initially to allow more freedom over mark making by not being restricted by the edge of the canvas and stretcher.
Control over the process is also explored, investigating the boundaries between what is conscious or unconscious thought within the artwork. To create more freedom within the painting's mark making process, an online random choice generator is used between layers to determine technique for marks, colour palette, and sometimes a time limit to encourage more expressive imagery in covering as much of the canvas as possible within that time.
Not only does the canvas itself reflect the journey of the painting process, but so does the masking tape and wooden blocks, the paint used to build up on both with every layer applied. In this sense, these blocks and tape both communicate effectively together in presentation and become works of their own, the blocks shown on plinths or shelfs, and the masking tape directly on the wall or framed on paper or canvas, bringing appreciation to each various aspect that contributed to the process of the painting as palimpsest.