New Paintings: Deborah Tarr

From pure abstraction to varying levels of representation, some pieces are clearly of ‘somewhere’, often inspired by   location; other works might refer to a moment in the artist’s life – a distillation of her thoughts and memories. As viewers, we are encouraged to participate in this reverie -   to make the space and associations our own. The work speaks to our subconscious mind. What she creates is more than a painting – it is a complete and individual object, defined as much by the grain of the canvas and the application of sumptuous paint as by the carefully chosen frames. This juxtaposition of old and new, traditional and modern makes her work satisfying and reassuring in its wholeness.

Tarr describes the process of painting as a ‘conundrum’ - a constant round of decision making and self-discipline where a myriad of thoughts are tempered.    However, she strives to give each painting an emotional content and to empathise with the viewer on a human level.  She often titles the work in a mock rueful way – ‘Pot Kettle Black’ – ‘To Put an Old Tin Lid on it’ – offering humorous observations about the way things are. The work is an expression of life’s inherent duality and fragility.