Fluent Form, paintings and sculptures by Marina Savashynskaya
Ruth and Bill Baker Art Sales Gallery
February 4 – March 20, 2022
Artist Statement
I often think about painting in three dimensions, rather than two. When engaging with the surface, I am considering how the arrangement and folds of the canvas will influence the composition. The process is as rooted in the physical construction of form as it is propelled by the medium’s inherent fluidity.
The title of the exhibition – Fluent Form – refers to the practice of exploring opposing concepts such as density, fragility, continuity, and impermanence within the same material. As one progression leads to the next, I study the medium without premeditation, remaining sensitive to nuances within the process.
Natural elements such as dry pigments and sand are introduced in these paintings. Sand is a physical object, yet its existence is a representation of the passage of time. It is the result of rock erosion, and it is a material that continually assembles into new patterns. In the Buddhist tradition, sand is used to convey beauty and ephemerality through the construction and subsequent destruction of mandalas. Using these themes as anchors of inspiration, the works evoke impressions of dunes, flora, and natural phenomena while departing from a faithful rendering of reality.
The paintings and sculptures are a meditation on movement, time, and transformation. The work encourages observers to reflect on the notion of time: how a fleeting moment may be preserved within the union of color and form. - Marina Savashynskaya
About the Artist
Marina Savashynskaya is a Belarusian artist based in Charleston, South Carolina. Dunbar’s paintings are nature-based abstractions, composed through harmonious movement, material improvisation and layers of translucent color. The paintings bare resemblance to elements in nature while simultaneously departing from literal representations. Each painting seeks a level of reservation as well as an embrace of the unforeseeable. Her relationship with painting is very physical. The artist’s process is to manipulate the surface of each piece, granting the work a sculptural quality. Moving around the painting, positioning themselves to direct paint flow from specific angles. The process lends itself to the build-up of layers, capturing traces of time and movement. The practice is both seductive and uncertain. Fluid media is sensitive to its environment; a deep breath, a slight shift of focus, a sound in the distance all impact the process, causing the marks to sway from their predetermined path. Dunbar participated in the Visiting Artist program at the Gibbes Museum from August 30 – October 10, 2021. Learn more about Marina Savashynskaya’s process here.
