Vagary
‘Vagary,’ meaning to wander, or a sudden change in a situation, is a series of art-works that delve deeper into the eclipse symbology that Candice Black has adopted in her art practice as a means of expressing the experience of being female and associations of fertility.
Through iteration of this symbology, she has explored the relationships between forms on the canvas, looking at notions of being ‘just.’ Colour is experimented with following her ‘Counterfeit’ primary colours limitation, to see how hues work with each other on a larger scale. Finding the process of painting in oils a meditative one, she sought to work into the eclipse theme and see what appeared in these artworks. The process proved to be a valuable one, where she learned how to create simple artworks that convey more meaning.
The eclipse: a symbol of transition, darkness, light, and the experience of witnessing an eclipse first hand- bring forth connotations of uncertainty and hope. It was important to the artist to take her experimentation and find what more a creative idea could offer.
Going further into the concepts of being ‘just’ and ‘female,’ the artist has created art-works that are more explicit in their themes of sex, sexuality, race, order, chaos, and prejudice.
Accessibility
There are three large oil paintings which feature circular forms, in different hues, that hold different positions on the canvas.
The first oil painting ‘Alignment,’ displays two large red circular forms and a third smaller one. A fourth red circular form is in the bottom left corner, and is obscured by a small navy circular form, to create a ring of fire. The background is created with rough brushstrokes of navy blue oil paint.
The second painting ‘Trust The Deep,’ features six circular forms that mingle across the canvas, in hues of a light peach and darker orange. The background is painted with rough brushstrokes of taupe coloured oil paint.
The third oil painting ‘In A Drop Of Water,’ features six circular forms in light blue, that intersect with one another across the canvas, against a taupe coloured background.
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‘Transient,’ displays a red circular form with a radial gradient in brown, eclipsed by a small black circular form, in the top right of the painting, against a black background.
‘InThe Depth,’ displays two circular forms with radial gradients from red into navy blue in the center, against a black background. The larger circle sits the top left of the painting, the smaller circle to the bottom right.
‘When I Met You,’ features three circular forms , in radial gradients from red into brown, against a black background. Two small circles are at the top left and right of the painting, and one large circle sits at the bottom.
‘Eclipsed,’ displays a circular form with a radial gradient from red outwards into brown, obscured by a black circular form, against a black background. The circle sits at the bottom right corner of the painting.
‘Observation,’ features three circular forms in hues of blue and red brown, against a black background. At the top of the painting a small circle has a radial gradient from red brown in to navy blue at the centre. To the middle right of the painting, a small circle has a radial gradient from navy blue inwards to red brown. At the bottom left of the painting, a large circular form with a gradient of navy to red brown, is obscured by a black circular form.
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‘Conception,’ 2024, features five circular forms in an outward red to blue radial gradient, that are positioned across the canvas. Two smaller circular forms meet in the middle, a larger one is in the top left corner, a smaller one off to the right corner. A large eclipse circular form is the bottom right corner. The background is black.
‘Ring Of Fire,’ 2024, has three red, flat coloured circular forms: a larger one to the top right of the painting, an eclipse circular form to the middle left, and a small circular form to the bottom right. The background is black.
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‘Take Them As I Find Them,’ ‘Your Sweet Nothings Are Sweet Somethings To Me,’ ‘Giving In,’ ‘Discretion,’ and ‘Checkmate,’ are a series of five abstract oil paintings. Each painting features a dark green checkerboard on plain canvas material. On to the checkerboard black and white oil paint has been smeared with hands. The black and white paint mixes together to create grey, and moves in different directions with each canvas.
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‘Pick Up The Pieces,’ is a mixed media work on paper that incorporates collaged photocopied imagery, spray paint, and handwritten text. In the lower left corner is photocopy of a photograph of a white rose. To the right of the art-work are black, spray painted, silhouettes of puzzle pieces. At the top left corner of the art-work is hand written text from 27th April 2021 that describes gathering food supplies and stocking up, e.g. ‘Fresh meat like bacon, sausages, and eggs.’
‘Roll The Dice,’ features black and white photocopied imagery of a building site for an office block and displays a crane in the top left corner, at the bottom right is handwritten text describing the artist’s circumstances at birth, including how her parents fought with one another, and the Thatcherism of the era. e.g. ‘I was born during the closure of the industries like coal and merchant navy.’ Overlaid is a red lino print of two dice.
‘Brick Wall,’ features hand written text at the top left of the art-work that reads ‘What matters most to me…Leading a good life…’ etc in the form of a list. Beneath is a photocopy of a photograph of a bricked up window. Overlaid are silhouettes of black spray painted puzzle pieces.
‘I Don’t Want To Die,’ features a red lino print of two dice in the top left corner, which overlays hand written text – an excerpt from the artist’s diary where she potentially has cancer, it reads ‘ I don’t want to die…Is there life after death…?’ Beneath is a photocopy of a photograph of a padlock against a window grate, to the right a photocopy of a pregnancy test diagram.
‘Not Out Of The Woods,’ displays hand written text to the top left of the art-work which reads ‘I’m worried that I have cancer, but I’m giving myself a break…’ and continues to this effect. Beneath is a black and white photocopy of photograph of a woodland. In the bottom half of the art-work silhouettes of black spray painted puzzles pieces are displayed.
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‘Oven Ready,’ is a collage on paper that features multiple headlines and images from news papers during the 2024 general election, arranged in the form of a swastika, with predominantly red and blue colours. Text and imagery are rearranged to create new meanings.
‘Freedom Of Speech Act,’ displays headlines and imagery from the 2024 riots rearanged to create new meanings. For example text is arranged so that it reads ‘Unique Culture Thriving on Britain’s Ghost High Streets,’ and ‘Resistant Rioters Sent To Jail.’
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‘Desperate,’ is a collage that features text cut out from newspapers, arranged to create new meanings. Against a background of a photograph showing an upmarket residence, Text reads ‘Desperate Migrants,’ and ‘Going Home Again,’ and ‘I gave my best to you.’ Juxtaposed is imagery of a puzzle game shaped as a diamond, and a pot full of flowers.
‘Bareknuckle,’ features black and white text from a newspaper headline that reads ‘Bare-knuckle’ at the top of the image. To the right of the image is a photocopy of a ceiling light and chair. To the left a red spot reads ‘Limited Availability,’ and underneath this text reads ‘This is the life. Is it yours?’ At the bottom of the page a cut out headline reads ‘ Fruit and veg prices set to rise unless -’ and added to this statement is the figure ‘£200.’
‘Playground,’ is a collage that displays a weather map in colour from a newspaper. In the background is a photocopy of luxurious house with a swimming pool. At the top of the image text has been arranged to read ‘split over how to get the best playground.’ To the bottom right, text reads ‘Strength to Strength.’
‘Reality,’ has yellow text at the top of the page that reads ‘Summer Of’ and then the word ‘Reality’ has been added to the statement, in the top left corner. To the right is a cut out image of a game called battleships. Overlaid are the words ‘May arrive too late.’ In the background is a dark blue photograph that displays three luxury rings with yellow, blue, and green stones. At the bottom of the image text has been arranged to read ‘Some people like if you’re disabled.’
‘Easy’ features a photocopy of a modern armchair in the centre of the image, white text at the top of the page against a yellow background which reads ‘OH WOW!’ and text at the bottom of the page that reads ‘Easy-to-use.’
‘Painful,’ is a collage that displays a photocopy of a white woman who is modelling jewellery. Overlaid in the centre is text that has been arranged to read ‘Nation or class? Fighting inside.’ At the bottom a headline reads ‘Our relationship depends on how we’re both feeling.’
‘Pressure,’ displays a background image of a luxury pool setting. At the top of the image are the words ‘flaunt grandeur.’ At the bottom, text has been ranged to read ‘99p takes pressure off. We do apologise for any inconvenience this change has caused. Yours sincerely.’
‘Long Way to Go,’ is a collage of two luxury earrings with light blue stones against a dark blue background. Text has been arranged at the top of the image to say ‘Don’t be fooled by the long way to go.’ At the bottom, the text reads ‘You can get lost,’ and ‘Probably the best.’
‘Journey,’ features an image of a luxury apartment with two large mirrors hanging above a sofa in the background. At the top of the image is text that has been arranged to read ‘Outside edge not the best way to help ace the test.’ In the foreground is a French bulldog that has its paw resting on a headline that reads ‘a journey we make together.’
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A series of six oil on canvas paintings capturing the tide. Hues of dark blue and deep green swirl across the canvas, as waves break with white oil paint. Each painting is a birds eye view of the tide.