Motherlover by Caroline Walls
Caroline Walls’ most recent show, Motherlover, departs from her characteristically abstract works and explores ideas of motherhood, love and the power of the female form through texture, still-life and portraiture.
Words: Holly Terry | Photography: Annika Kafcaloudis
‘The collection is less about what is seen, but instead what is felt. Inspired by and hoping to capture the sensation of warm, supple bodies, a soft caress or the ache of a past memory that stirs within you late at night,’ says Caroline Walls, pictured in her new Collingwood studio. Photo: Annika Kafcaloudis
It Took Time To Understand, 2022 by Caroline Walls. Photo: Annika Kafcaloudis
Works in MotherLover have been created in Caroline Walls’ new Collingwood studio. Photo: Annika Kafcaloudis
I’ve long looked up to Caroline Walls as a visual artist, someone who’s work so embodied the power of the female form, though abstractedly, softly. So, to chat to her about her most recent exhibition Motherlover, which opened last week at Jerico Contemporary, was a real full circle moment – to say I was excited is an understatement.
Explaining her deep interest in art-making since her early years, Caroline knew early on that her life would follow a creative path. After spending much of her time in her 20s living in New York City and London, Caroline spent time working with a women-led design agency in Melbourne that gave her the opportunity and support to take on a post-graduate in visual art to explore her own practice. Since then, the artist hasn’t looked back.
For the past six years, Caroline has been exhibiting her works with some of Australia’s most major contemporary galleries and adorning the walls of spaces both nationally and abroad.
She is most well-known for her abstract, voluptuous shapes paired with soothing, neutral tones, however, her latest body Motherlover represents a significant departure from the gestural works that came before.
Keeping up with her characteristically classical palettes, her most recent, textural works explore figuration, still-life and portraiture to capture moments in time.
‘Motherlover is my most personal collection to date, with the artworks capturing my musings on my own life – the ordinariness and extraordinariness of my everyday experiences. I was interested in capturing those quiet, unseen moments in my marriage and motherhood that are often overlooked or forgotten about but that are actually imbued with real tenderness and beauty,’ she says.
‘I tend to explore themes that have touched me personally as a woman, such as fertility, motherhood, exploration into sexual identity, desire and the need for emotional connection,’ says Caroline Walls. Photo: Annika Kafcaloudis
‘For me personally, my art-making is a way to connect and relate to others experiencing similar moments in time – things like becoming a mother for the first time and all of the emotions that comes with it,’ says Caroline Walls. Photo: Annika Kafcaloudis
“I’m most proud of the fact that I’m choosing to follow my dream–it isn’t always the easiest or consistent path and navigating being both an artist and a mother can be intense at times with its own set of challenges, but I really do love it.”
Flesh, 2022 by Caroline Walls. Photo: Annika Kafcaloudis
Middle Of Nowhere (Looking At You), 2022 by Caroline Walls. Photo: Annika Kafcaloudis
Motherlover focusses more on what is felt rather than seen. With less emphasis on achieving realism within the finished work, Caroline aimed to capture emotion that was present when photographs (which she used to inform the initial phases of the work) were taken.
Exploring themes such as motherhood, love with her wife, and the power of the female form, the artist prefers to work on a number of works at the same time to form an ongoing narrative.
Acclaimed for her gestural use of acrylic paint, which worked to underscore her tranquil, soothing works, the collection marks Caroline’s return to textural oil paint. Layer upon layer, she creates a sense of depth and translucency among her works.
‘I love oil paint for its ability to be both rich in texture and tone, allowing me to play further with opacity, translucent layering and tonality–there is a new-found freedom when I paint and I’m enjoying the process of learning all of the intricacies of the medium again.’
Deepening the intimate, stratified narrative, Caroline has interwoven the use of fabric to symbolise togetherness, as well as various details of her wife’s clothing–a love letter to her androgenous identity and essence.
My guess would be that there are bright things on the horizon for Caroline. ‘I feel like I’m only at the very beginning of this next journey and look forward to seeing how my work continues to evolve.’
Motherlover is available to view in person and online at Jerico Contemporary until November 5th. You can catch Caroline at an artist talk and book-signing between Caroline and Karina Pires Hanna, held at the gallery on November 5th, 2pm.
MOTHERLOVER BY CAROLINE WALLS AT Jerico Contemporary
FROM Thursday 13TH OCTOBER - SATURDAY 5TH NOVEMBER
94 Cathedral Street, Woolloomooloo NSW