Described by critic Isobel Haribson as “epic, enigmatic and evocative,” Elizabeth Magill’s highly idiosyncratic paintings present subjective and psychological takes on the landscape genre. Rich with kaleidoscopic patterning and fragmented forms, these vistas are embedded in place – usually rural settings on the edges of settlements – but transported through the artist’s imagination, memories, photographs, or moods to be presented as something other: lush, visionary recollections of hills, lakes, hedges, and skies glowing with ambient light. The term ‘inscape’ has been used to describe Magill’s practice: landscapes not based on direct observation, but imbued with a sense of interiority and reflection. Magill’s complex and densely layered paintings are produced using various techniques, at times incorporating stencilling, screenprinting, and collage, as well as the pouring, blending, dripping, splashing, and scraping away of paint. Film and photography are also central to her research, shaping the way the artist looks at landscape, and infusing her approach to light, tone, and atmosphere. Born in Canada, Magill grew up in Northern Ireland and now lives and works in London.
[excerpted from Kerlin Gallery website: www.kerlingallery.com]
Magill’s paintings can be found in collections throughout the UK and Europe, including the Tate London; the British Museum, London; and the Irish Museum of Modern Art, Dublin.