September 30th - November 11th, 2023
Rebecca Norton's diverse artistic practice encompasses a wide range of materials and technology, reflecting a robust intrigue with color theory, a love of geometry, and a distinct curiosity concerning structures of perception. In her new series of paintings, Norton investigates elements of climactic structure to highlight their complexities. The visual analogies and illusionistic techniques at work in Climactic acknowledge the intricate interplay between cognitive and sensory experience. Informed by naturalistic studies, the paintings portray a sensual vision, concerned with follies of perceptual tricks and pleasurable landscapes. Climactic serves as a thought-provoking exploration of how our perceptions are shaped, influenced, and evolved.
By expanding conceptual frameworks and blurring the lines between geometric abstraction, figuration, and landscape painting, Norton's new paintings present an abstracted melding of thought and form. She probes deeply into the "Problem of Perception," contemplating the possibilities of illusions and hallucinations and their implications on our understanding of reality. Norton states, "In my work, I approach the phenomena of an object or landscape to call attention to the enigma of perception. I aim to capture a feeling for an object or landscape, rather than an accurate depiction of it. The intense color palettes, movements, and fluidity between abstraction and subjects play with the aesthetics of illusory and hallucinatory experience, challenging the very act of seeing itself."