Drawing In Colour: Sarah Spackman

Acclaimed artist Sarah Spackman will present her hugely anticipated solo exhibition ‘Drawing in Colour’ this September at Sarah Wiseman Gallery, Oxford.

Sarah Spackman says: ‘This new collection of paintings continues to develop through investigation of the object in front of me from a single viewpoint. With each painting, I am discovering a likeness and making the paint stand for the object without imitating its appearance.

‘We’re delighted to present an exciting new solo exhibition from one of our most sought-after artists’, says gallery director Sarah Wiseman. ‘Sarah’s previous solo show back in 2019 was a near sell-out, so we are preparing for an especially busy month ahead!’

Collectors of Sarah Spackman’s paintings will notice a development in this new collection as the artist moves towards a more intense colour palette. Over the years, colour has appeared in the majority of her paintings, but in more tonal quantities, with smaller, brightly coloured highlights such as her garden flowers or selected fruits such as citrus. However, with this collection, Sarah explores bigger contrasts with strong blocks of colour taking a more central role.

Sarah Spackman explains: ‘Using colour to define the structure, I am looking for both clarity and richness. As Cezanne said, “Art is a harmony parallel to nature”.

Sarah Spackman is best known for her minimalist-style still life, with paintings often comprising just a single flower stem or fruit. ‘With this style of painting, there really is nowhere to hide’, says Sarah Wiseman. ‘Your painting has to be accurate, yet sensitive. Her works are almost sculpted into being. The fruit or flower has that sense of a moment in time, at perfect ripeness or freshness.’