The Reflected Narratives Of Kate Brinkworth 2

The Reflected Narratives Of Kate Brinkworth

The Reflected Narratives Of Kate Brinkworth

One of the biggest areas of focus in contemporary art critique is the power of negative space and composition in the construction and establishment of narrative ideas.

In an art piece, every element matters, from the bespoke framing, the art materials, the title and every depicted and implied element, and an excellent example of how every element combines to tell a story can be found in the photorealistic works of Kate Brinkworth.

Born in 1977 and having graduated in 2000 from Nottingham Trent University, Ms Brinkworth leapt immediately into the world of contemporary art, with her biggest skill being her ability to capture reflection and focus in oils on canvas.

Judged solely on appearance, one might be forgiven for thinking that her biggest influence was the saturated and inviting imagery of someone like Nickolas Muray, the father of modern food photography.

The resemblance can be seen in some of her depictions of bright confections and soft drinks, such as Candy Stripe Jelly Belly, but despite this, her greatest artistic influence is film auteur Alfred Hitchcock.

Whilst there are some more direct allusions in pieces such as The Watcher, which through its chaotic composition reflects the chaotic vice-filled inner life of its protagonist similar to films like Rear Window, Ms Brinkworth’s primary connection to Mr Hitchcock is through her attention to detail and interest in focus.

A great example of this can be found in several of her depictions of dice such as Frontier Chip. Inspired by the sheer chaos of Las Vegas, the cluttered pile of brightly coloured dice, some of which are translucent reflect the ultimate irony of gambling hubs such as Vegas.

With so few chips compared to the number of dice, the narrative is that the unseen protagonist initially pursued money, but that ambition was superseded by the allure, thrill and chaos of gambling itself, to the point that it smothered and obfuscated the losses.