The myriad of colours, textures and marks creates a visual buzz that is a reflection on how I mentally processed the intense new environment of Europe.
Girl En Route
Mimi Fairall
This year I made the gutsy decision to travel solo around Europe for 10 weeks. I had never travelled unaccompanied by friends, been overseas for more than 2 weeks or on a plane longer than 6 hours. What pushed me to finally fly across the world was my acceptance in to a residency program at Centre Pompadour in the north of France.
My trip was a way of getting back to basics - physically and mentally. I wasn’t able to take a lot of things with me and I had to prepare a lot of mental space to be able to take in the entirety of my new experiences. I packed only compact drawing supplies and paper. Taking myself literally back to the drawing board forced me to investigate my mark-making and colour choices more closely. I had no access to my usual vast array of materials and objects and whilst this was difficult at times I knew that focusing on drawing would improve the foundation of my practice.
The series of A3 and A5 works I began at Centre Pompadour were initially experimental. Symbols and motifs from my travels emerged - arched windows, gothic christian iconography, elaborate frames, hilly landscapes, foreign flora and European architectural forms. I worked simultaneously on 2-3 drawings and each one informed the elements of the others. I worked as if each drawing was a travel journal entry - a visual representation of where I was, what I saw and how I felt.
Individually the drawings speak of single experiences but together they become a crowd of interactions. The myriad of colours, textures and marks create a visual buzz that reflects my mental state overseas as I processed my intense new environment. Some drawings appear quieter and more settled than others with more intricate linework and less colour, as whenever I craved downtime overseas the drawings did too. My time in Europe was split between mountainous, beachside or farmland areas and bustling metropolitan cities. I referenced this in the drawings with structured formats and depictions of geometric shapes contrasted with more gestural, organic compositions.
My Europe adventure was a journey in personal growth. This new body of work documents how I began, what strengths I developed and where I am now. The drawings are my thoughts, emotions and experiences - a travel journal I can reminisce and reflect upon.
Girl En Route
Mimi Fairall
This year I made the gutsy decision to travel solo around Europe for 10 weeks. I had never travelled unaccompanied by friends, been overseas for more than 2 weeks or on a plane longer than 6 hours. What pushed me to finally fly across the world was my acceptance in to a residency program at Centre Pompadour in the north of France.
My trip was a way of getting back to basics - physically and mentally. I wasn’t able to take a lot of things with me and I had to prepare a lot of mental space to be able to take in the entirety of my new experiences. I packed only compact drawing supplies and paper. Taking myself literally back to the drawing board forced me to investigate my mark-making and colour choices more closely. I had no access to my usual vast array of materials and objects and whilst this was difficult at times I knew that focusing on drawing would improve the foundation of my practice.
The series of A3 and A5 works I began at Centre Pompadour were initially experimental. Symbols and motifs from my travels emerged - arched windows, gothic christian iconography, elaborate frames, hilly landscapes, foreign flora and European architectural forms. I worked simultaneously on 2-3 drawings and each one informed the elements of the others. I worked as if each drawing was a travel journal entry - a visual representation of where I was, what I saw and how I felt.
Individually the drawings speak of single experiences but together they become a crowd of interactions. The myriad of colours, textures and marks create a visual buzz that reflects my mental state overseas as I processed my intense new environment. Some drawings appear quieter and more settled than others with more intricate linework and less colour, as whenever I craved downtime overseas the drawings did too. My time in Europe was split between mountainous, beachside or farmland areas and bustling metropolitan cities. I referenced this in the drawings with structured formats and depictions of geometric shapes contrasted with more gestural, organic compositions.
My Europe adventure was a journey in personal growth. This new body of work documents how I began, what strengths I developed and where I am now. The drawings are my thoughts, emotions and experiences - a travel journal I can reminisce and reflect upon.
