Quietude

Emma Michaelis has developed a deep connection to the articulation and interpretation of the human condition. Often rendering the female figure shown in a moment of disconnected, quiet contemplation, her work opens up conversations about the fractured nature of the self and the affective interpretations of art and body. Michaelis was the Winner of the 2016 FLG Emerging Artist Award during the annual Exploration exhibition.

Quietude Catalogue Essay by Melanie Caple, BArts (FA) MArts, 2017

Attempting to build relationships and find a connectedness to those around us is a constant challenge in our busy and continually growing world. While isolation and disconnect might be what most of us are fighting against or afraid of, artists like Emma Michaelis successfully amplify and advocate the subtle intimacies that can be felt between us. Quietude literally translates as a state of stillness and calm held within a person or place, and this exhibition is aptly titled for the artworks that it encapsulates.

Intuitively Michaelis begins each of her works with a desire to express something felt rather than a carefully composed vision, and it is this intuition which is inherent in each of her exquisitely drawn works. The most important element of these breathtaking artworks, alongside the artist’s desire to harness particular intimacies, is the relationship to each of her muses. Technically talented in her abilities to render flesh and form with pencil, her way of seeing and connecting emotionally with her models makes these more than mere sketches of life on a page. Every curve and strand of hair is infused with an acute awareness of the individual and a sensitivity toward her subjects.

In her delicate piece ‘Never Let You Go,’ Michaelis offers a private insight into the unique moments shared between a mother and daughter. Exploring the relationship of two women who share a deeply felt closeness, Michaelis manages to highlight this with a beautiful sense of proximity, of touch, tenderness and understanding. This experience is translated to the viewer through Michaelis’ juxtaposition of subtle, soft markings and her decision to render them at an lifelike scale. Together they offer an intimate participation with the works.

Large rolls of paper tumble from the wall to the floor and her figures emerge and dissipate within the undulation of their foundations. To articulate that these drawings are not purely observational but are felt, Michaelis chooses coloured pencils as her medium - soft hues of rich magenta, golden yellow, champagne pink, and viridian. It is through this colour that emotion and energy can be expressed potently within such subtle works. In contrast to these larger works, Michaelis also explores the human form in a slightly abstract sense. These particular drawings are dwarfed by their counterparts, but allow the artist and us to study fractured elements of the body. This colouration acts as a kind of nostalgic lens, filtering their resolve, as they appear to fade in and out of focus, their resolution wavering.

Michaelis doesn’t present us with the stereotypically beautiful. Instead she finds and highlights the unique beauty of each individual she depicts. Without forcibly conveying any feminist ideals, one can’t help but agree that there is perfection within the imperfect, of the human experience and what the body endures through its life. Pregnancy, infancy, ageing and recovery are stages that we all experience in various ways, connecting us to one another. Each and every one of these drawings are relatable. Empathy and intimacy is shared through the physicality of these works, of their incredible draftsmanship, of their scale, of their colour - the essence of humanity etched onto a page.

By Melanie Caple, BArts (FA) MArts, 2017.