Susie Nathanson & Stella Tooth are two portrait artists who take their inspiration from performers. They are exhibiting together for the first time, at Putney Library, as part of the Wandsworth Arts Fringe Festival this June.
Susie and Stella met during a social media campaign a few years ago, when Wandsworth Arts asked Susie to spotlight the work of three borough artists who struck a chord with her. Stella’s work was a natural choice. This has led to a wonderful dialogue and friendship, founded on mutual admiration and respect for each other’s work.
They have now come together to create an exhibition titled ‘Performers In Paint’. The show features musicians, dancers, and a variety of acts that have moved them, and explores their different takes on the excitement of live performance. Both artists are consummate storytellers, each with their own distinct style. Susie often incorporates objects and symbolic references in her paintings, which tell the subject’s story. Stella, a former print journalist and PR professional, combines figurative imagery with words and a strong sense of color to bring her subject’s story to life.
The exhibition will run from Wednesday 14 June – Saturday 15 July 2023. There will be two special workshops that run alongside it: a ‘Dance & Costume’ themed life drawing class and an Introduction to Salsa Dancing. There will also be a talk that goes behind the scenes of Stella & Susie’s art practice, where they explain why performers attract them as a subject matter, the different ways they access performances, and the methods they use to capture them in paint. Please see separate listings to book these events.
Susie says: “The theme of performance and performers is one very close to my heart. I was lucky enough to experience first-hand, the feeling of being on stage at a young age, which sprung a lifelong fascination for the magic, craft, and beauty of performance. I am really excited to be joining forces with Stella on this show; we could literally talk for hours on this subject, being one that has played an instrumental role in both our lives. “
Stella says: “It’s great to stage this exhibition with Susie in the same year the Half Moon Putney, where I’m resident artist, celebrates 60 years of live rock n roll. We’ve both enjoyed exploring what exactly it is that draws us – albeit from differing perspectives and with different storytelling techniques – to the musicians, dancers, and circus skill acts that we so love to portray.”
Susie and Stella have created a special collaborative piece, exclusively for the exhibition, called ‘The Slack Rope Walker.’ It is an artwork that joins, via a W-shaped rope, two different buskers who have inspired them.
The artwork featured will be available for sale.
Image: The Slackrope walker by Stella Tooth and Susie Nathanson.
For further information on the artists and show, visit the following links:
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