One would say that Sydney-based artist, Marisa Purcell, is a master of the atmospheric, engaged in abstraction exploring the interplay of light and color to uncover connections beyond everyday reality. Her saturated color field paintings evoke a sense of tranquility and immersion, drawing viewers into expansive, meditative spaces. Currently on show at the gallery, Purcell's pure works are intensified by their sweeping scale and monochromatic lens.
Purcell received a Master of Visual Arts from the University of Sydney in 2007 following her Masters of Art from the University of New South Wales College of Fine Arts in 2001. However, Purcell is a self-taught painter as her first two degrees were in theory. She only received her Master of Visual Arts ten years into her practice.
We had the opportunity to conduct a brief Q&A with Marisa, delving into her artistic practice and work.
Never The Same River II, 2024
A+W: We really admire your compositions and use of color, and especially the emotions evoked when viewing your work. Can you share your intentions behind your art?
PURCELL: I think everything is a narrative - mine is that perception is unreliable and we frame our opinions and understandings of things from what we’ve been conditioned to see. A painting that can deceive you, change in front of your eyes, make you question what you are seeing, making it difficult to grasp onto, sits in a space where words don’t have a place.
The point of what I’m doing is to get myself out of the way of myself while I am working, and hopefully, the viewer can do that too. A meaningful encounter with a space of color and light can bring an awareness to a part of yourself that goes beyond thought.
Installation view, Through The Veils
A+W: You're a self-taught painter who eventually went to art school. Can you share your journey with us? How did it all come together?
PURCELL: For my Masters of Art I majored in museum education primarily so I could work in public programs at the Art Gallery NSW and the MCA part-time. It was a way to be with art, whilst providing an income, allowing me to work on paintings the other days.
...I taught myself how to paint by making friends with the staff at the art shop, asking lots of questions, and getting studios with other artists. Working with paint alone brought up lots of problems and questions that I would try to solve alone or by asking other artists. I also learned by looking at great paintings when I traveled and studying them to understand more about how they were made.
Morning Moments, 2023
"A MEANINGFUL ENCOUNTER WITH A SPACE OF COLOR AND LIGHT CAN BRING AN AWARENESS TO A PART OF YOURSELF THAT GOES BEYOND THOUGHT." - PURCELL
Toward The Way II, 2024
Purcell in studio
"PERCEPTION IS UNRELIABLE." -PURCELL
It Takes Time II, 2024
Purcell's work is featured in a two-person show at the gallery, Through The Veils, alongside Franziska Reinbothe from June 28 - August 10.
For more information on available works by the artist, contact gallery@ardenandwhitegallery.com