Hannah Thomas

Momentary Lapse #1, 2023

Acrylic on canvas

Painting50 x 50 x 2cmShips from United Kingdom

£750

In stock

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About the Artist

Hannah Thomas (b.1972, UK) is an abstract painter whose work draws on the influence of artists such as Francis Bacon and HR Giger, as well as the films of David Lynch. Her large works are a combination of abstraction and biomorphic shapes that stem from ideas of Absurdism and personal freedom: a plea for release of one’s potency in a world that increasingly restricts and confines. She trained and worked as a photographer in London, specialising in music, for over a decade before shifting her focus to painting. Her move over to painting was primarily borne of a desire to work creatively in a fully autonomous way, with no rules; it was a space to be truly experimental. Her energetic paintings are an attempt to make tangible in a series of signature shapes and motifs, a view of human confusion and the multi layered nature of experience.

About the Artwork

Always an Eye on the Exit Series

This series is a response to any curtailment of personal autonomy or a sense of restriction in a situation, I have always wanted to know where my exits were, especially when I was younger. Also ‘exit’ signs and doorways leading elsewhere are also always magnetic, they stimulate the imagination and as a fan of David Lynch they are imbued with a strong atmosphere of intrigue and slight trepidation, there is something very cinematic about the whole concept. The teeth when painted alone in a disembodied mouth signify to me not only a surreal touch to the work but more importantly they represent a facade, a sense of things not being quite as they seem; a fixed smile is always a cause for unease. Ultimately these paintings are about complex layers, a mistrust of surface appearances and a macabre undercurrent that threatens to overwhelm at any point. They were also an opportunity to further explore the combination of abstract elements and textural surfaces with motifs and details that leant more towards the figurative. This is something I will be building on in my practice in forthcoming works. “Eyes blazing, blood sings, bones widen, tears and red streaks trickle. Their mockery or terror lasts one minute, or a whole month. I alone have the key to this savage parade.” – Parade by Arthur Rimbaud