In The Witch’s House Ilona Szalay has created a world of beautiful restraint and control out of which spills a bold and uninhibited sexual spirit. The viewer is invited to reflect on what women might do in their own space, unfettered from the world and concerns of men. Yet this is not an egalitarian matriarchal paradise, it is a place of power, ritual, and dark sexuality. Szalay’s forceful use of space and color creates a spotlight for visual potency. The palette of this collection is restricted, with black figures contrasted against shades of cyan and teal, producing an otherworldly and euphoric effect. Her use of oils is lustrous and when she applies them to glass or aluminum the effect produces a wetness and liquidity that enhances the sensuality of the pieces. The scenes are sparse, intense, and the minimalism supports the cultivation of an erotic environment. The lack of detail forces us to focus intently on the action and to further imagine the context of the scenes playing out before us. Yet despite the bold, gestural lines, Szalay still manages to communicate a great deal of information about the highly ornamented aesthetic of these women and their oddly archaic setting. She shows us lush, feminine beauty, delicate pouts, hair in ringlets, earrings, buttons, all conveyed with the single stroke of a brush.
- Amy Hale
Opening 16th March
6 - 8 pm
Edinburgh
