We're excited to welcome back Melbourne artist Caroline Walls to The UNDONE with her 'Body Language' screen print series.
Selecting Body Language I and Body Language IV from the series, we're offering a limited run in three colour ways, Midnight Blue, Neutral Stone and Soft Clay.
We chat to Caroline about her love for silkscreen media, her evolving theme of the female form and her tips on creating a story when displaying art in the home.
You use a few different media for your art; charcoal drawings, paint on canvas and screen printing to name a few. What do you love about the screen printing process, your history with this media and what makes it so special?
I’ve always had a keen interest in printmaking as an art form after studying some of my favourite artists such as Matisse and Picasso who enjoyed printmaking in their own practices.
I set out to learn about the silkscreen process in addition to various other print-making methods such as etching, lithography and monotype and in doing so discovered a love and appreciation for silkscreen.
I am passionate about silkscreen printing for its ability to carve out bold, reductive silhouettes with large areas of colour which ultimately lends itself to my art aesthetic you see in my paintings.
Silkscreen artworks have an artisanal quality that I hope to achieve in all of the artworks I create, as each piece is made individually by hand, and unlike digital prints wherein colours are selected on a computer screen, each ink is physically hand-mixed to create exacting hues with the subtleties I want to achieve.
Generally I’ve also always been so fond of artworks on paper as I love the tactile quality of fine art paper, with its velvety texture and deckled edges and it’s the combination of these things that keeps me interested in the silkscreen process.
What are some tips for styling art in your home? eg. We’ve seen your art layered with ceramics and books on shelves, sometimes they’re paired in a duo and other times they’re on their own as a standalone feature.
I love my interiors to tell a story and have a sense of depth so when displaying singular art pieces I love to lean the framed artwork on a floor, mantle or sideboard and layer personal objects found over the years, locally made ceramics, art books and smaller framed artworks in front and beside it to create a sense of depth through different tones and textures. This creates a 'lived in’, eclectic interior that feels personal and warm.
For larger walls or open spaces I love to hang two pieces side by side as a pair at eye-level to create a bold, contemporary statement that encourages a gallery-like feel, having space around the two artworks allows the work to breath and take centre-stage.
You have focused on the female form for your last few collections. How has this theme evolved and do you think you’ll continue to unwrap this subject?
My art practise draws inspiration from the movement and fluidity of the female form, quiet moments of intimacy, contemporary perceptions of women’s sexuality as well as notions of gender and fertility and I feel like their is no-end to my passion for exploring these themes.
Now as a new mother I have an even greater appreciation for women and the female form - there is this entirely new layer to unravel and digest after my experience of pregnancy and my changing body, child birth and also seeing the world through my daughters eyes.
I hope to celebrate and champion women in my artworks, developing new and interesting visual languages that captures the boundless beauty and strength of the female for years to come.