The movement between figuration and abstraction is in the center of Caroline Absher’s oil paintings. Her large-scale portraits include self-images as well as paintings of groups of people close to her. The interplay between figurative and abstract moves from one end to another; depending on the work at hand, the subject matter can dissolve into abstract forms, other times the portrait is clearly visible. Visually, the palette is at times more reduced with muted colors, other times the paintings are full of dreamlike psychedelia with vibrant colors.
Absher’s paintings have a sense of calm and serene to them, but at the same time they feel charged; a feeling one may associate with night-time when everything around falls silent, but beneath the still surface something is occurring. Her painting practice is immediate and sure: she paints with swift movements making rapid decisions, always trusting her intuition. In the works in her new exhibition ”Earthbound”, human characters are presented along various animal figures including cats, moths, and reptiles. The animal figures are open for interpretation, but can be seen as guides for the human figures.
Originally from Greenville, South Carolina, Absher works in Brooklyn, New York. Absher graduated from Pratt Institute in Brooklyn New York (BFA in painting).
