Rebecca Holton. Returning To London.

About

I am a Londoner. I have lived in London for over fifteen years. However, for a brief period, between 2011 and 2017, I lived in Asia. Returning to London after six years of living abroad made me look at the city differently. Yes, I re-appreciated the fantastic history, beautiful architecture, plethora of museums, theatres and stunning art galleries. But I also noticed the smaller nuances in everyday life, that I’d previously missed, or simply taken for granted.

London acts as a magnet attracting people with a range of different stories and backgrounds. We cannot help but share experiences whilst we are here. No matter how mundane, the sharing of routine, of experience, of our city, help bond us to each other. ‘Returning to London’ highlights the importance of the humdrum, celebrating a snapshot of the everyday: Londoners on their local commute, and the all-time favourite British gossip topic; the weather!

Throughout my training, there was a strong emphasis on the core importance of drawing; we had access to life models at least three times a week. Even now, I still approach both drawing and painting from a draftswoman’s perspective. My graphite work pairs down a person’s detail to very minimal lines. I reduce and remove additional information which I don’t see adding to their core individuality or the drawing’s narrative. However, it’s still imperative to me that the images suggest volume, fluidity and personality. I tend to experiment with both removing and replacing detail during my process.

In drawings, I may choose to focus on a detail or pattern, but very rarely add tonal variation. The graphic starkness and way a pattern or shape interacts with the body can also help give the sense of volume. To me, the art of capturing convincing and accurate volume without the need for tone is a challenge I enjoy.

Similarly, in my painting, the main detail is restricted to my model – possibly only their face, whereas the background is kept simple. I very rarely use the same level of detail throughout a painting, finding instead that the area(s) of more refined detail tend to draw the viewer’s eye, allowing more scope to control a painting’s narrative.

I am very aware of the viewer’s role and relationship within my work. I believe, we cannot help but relate to figurative work more than any other genre, as we empathise with or relate to the person depicted. The way someone holds their body, where they are looking, their expression and their positioning on the canvas or page all affect the the way the viewer is invited to engage with them, and their portrait.

Composition, and how it affects the stories within my work, plays a vital part. For example, a figure cropped so her body is partly out of the canvas may suggest she is about to exit the painting – hence, she seems less engaged with the viewer which gives her more control over her and the viewer’s relationship – it could also encourage the viewer to study her windswept hair (now central to the canvas).

– Rebecca Holton, 2022