The work: Karen Benton, Moving Together, 2021. Yoga matting and acrylic on wood, 50 x 30 x 12cm. Courtesy: the artist.
The practice of Sydney-based artist Karen Benton is defined by a joyful blend of the traditional and the unconventional, with works that straddle the line between painting and sculpture. Her piece Moving Together exemplifies this approach, placing the more common medium of acrylic paint in conversation with the folds of a vibrant green yoga mat. Inspired by the feeling of connectivity between individuals within a space, the work creates parallels between two dissimilar materials to revel in the way in which they communicate when made to share a stretch of carved wood. Black paint is applied freely to the wood on a white background, the gestural treatment of line and form saturating the surface with energy. The artist has then suspended material which folds gently in upon itself to create an abstracted sculptural form. The viewer’s eye is directed between the two elements, freely following curves and angles to make unexpected connections between the two. Benton’s unique and multidisciplinary approach enables abstract art to communicate intangible aspects of the human experience, experimenting with material to expose those fleeting but fundamental moments of conviviality.