Growth - Hamilton Garden Arts Festival

Growth is a poetical interplay between photography and painting, abstraction and representation, feeling and thought. 

 

“And every day… 

And every second… 

And every breath… 

Of our lives… 

We are growing. 

Growing inside. Towards each other. From ourselves. To new selves. In constant movement. Earth. Ocean. Grass. Waves.  In. Out. Up. Down. Discovering. Recovering. Learning. Going. 

Time. Out”

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Ashlin Rawson completed her Bachelor (honors) at the Elam School of Fine arts. Her photographic works are a voyeuristic window into her consciousness and melancholically dwell on the physical and mental aspects of maturing. Evoking a sense of nostalgia, Ashlin developed, trough the skillful use of portrait photography, a critical self-identity.  In her visual framework, the artist refers to the idea of human beings’ dual identities, accessed through our portal-like, reflective devices. This, in turn, encapsulated her exploration, observation and personal experiences within a narcissistic juxtaposition of her sibling as own alter ego. Before we all get taller, have our first kiss, embark on studies questioned later, compare and compete with each other, get married, buy a house, her timeless photographs catapult us back to a time where everything was still possible, dreams were reality and everyone was regarded the same. Let your ego go and travel back in time to reflect on your upbringing while not growing in opposition to mistakes made. 

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Liam Bourton finished his Bachelor of Fine Arts (WINTEC) last year but is definitely not new to the art scene in Hamilton. Having participated in Boon Street Art festival and several gallery shows, we can officially state that Liam is obsessed with the formal relationship between lines and curves, figure and ground. As an architect, he mathematically and systemically grows his imperium of abstract artworks, one line at a time.   Formalistically inspired by Sol LeWitt and Gordon Walters while embodying the energetic playfulness of Keith Haring, Liam methodically explores the potential of simple geometric elements with singular precision, creating extra material works of complexity and versatility.  Clean, crisp, cerebral modernism. His dualistic use of colors and form forces the spectator into a world of possible perceptions. Follow the lines, retrace your mental steps and become aware of the continuous contraction and distraction. 

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