Diving into the Depths: Payne's Captivating Exploration of the Aquatic Realm

In a captivating exhibition, artist Paula Irene Payne presents "A View from the Edge – Living Waters," a joint showcase alongside the Art Gallery of New South Wales and the Brett Whiteley Studio's touring exhibition "Brett Whiteley: Inside the Studio." This rare opportunity allows viewers to delve into Whiteley's studio methods and his enduring fascination with the color blue, while Payne's work further explores the chromatic allure of the aquatic world.

Immersing Audiences in the Ebb and Flow of Nature's Narratives

Spanning Decades of Environmental Exploration

Payne's artistic practice, spanning three decades, reflects a deep concern for the environment. Her work raises awareness of climate change, extreme weather events, sustainability, resource extraction, and endangered species. Through a diverse range of techniques, including mixed painting, architectural and technical drawings, gestural mark-making, and cartographic details, Payne captures the natural histories and narratives of the sea and land.

Navigating the Waterways and Wetlands

"A View from the Edge – Living Waters" investigates the notion of navigable water bodies and the connections they foster between individuals. The exhibition focuses on waterways, wetlands, and their intricate processes. The artworks range from abstract depictions of water movements to semi-abstract and graphic approaches of littoral and intertidal zones, showcasing the beguiling strips of land, silts, and sediments carried by the tides.

Immersive Seascapes and Ecological Narratives

Entering the foyer, viewers are immediately captivated by "The Pause" (2022), a large-scale work that represents a fictitious seascape in warm and cool blue hues. The painting's commanding presence is both soothing and thought-provoking, as Payne manipulates layers of translucent and opaque color to create a depth beyond the surface.Payne's exploration of the marine realm continues with "Algie Bloom" (2024) and "The Farm" (2024), two more large-scale canvases that sustain the immersive viewing experience. These works tackle the ecological effects of algae and the implications of salmon farming, respectively, inviting the viewer to reflect on their role in environmental protection.

Navigating the Tasman Sea and the Richness of Natural Life

In "Living Waters – Navigating the Tasman Sea" (2023), Payne examines the murky edges of the Tasman Island's coast, with its giant dolerite sea columns. In contrast to the fragility depicted in "The Farm," this diptych seizes the richness of natural sea life between the tides, with Payne's scattering of gestural paint capturing the unruly character of the Tasman Sea.

Physicality and Perspective in Payne's Artistic Process

Payne's artistic process is deeply physical, as she combines traditional easel painting with techniques of poising the skins on the ground and continuously rotating the canvases. This ergonomically challenging approach implies an innate response of the maneuvering body, with the constrictions of the flesh carried by brush strokes and the interplay of fluid and opaque layers.Payne's manipulation of perspectives and angles further enhances the immersive viewing experience. In works like "Sink Hole" (2024), she spatializes the medium of painting, "tipping" elements of the landscapes towards the audience and enmeshing them in the process of looking.Through her captivating exhibition, Paula Irene Payne positions the audience at the center of the paintings, making the act of seeing an active experience and a locus of ethical interrogation. Viewers are invited to dive into the depths of the aquatic realm, exploring the intricate narratives and the profound connections between humanity and the natural world.