My most recent works are oil paintings in the series Energeia. These works are the counterpoint to some of the works in my Mindbug series, which address the horror of the pollution humans have created. This series addresses the solace people can find in nature. The works are based on my own photographs taken on walks, hikes, or just when I stop my car to look at something beautiful. The paintings are about motion and light, of moving through nature, expressing the action of experiencing nature. The word Energeia refers to half of Aristotle’s definition of motion – the “being in action”. Another influence for this series is the Romanticists, for many of the titles, and also some of my thoughts, how the poets escaped in nature and yearned to make the public understand what they felt. What I’m getting from them mostly is their thoughtful words that correlate with my desire for people to understand and have the opportunity to be lost in nature enough to find solace. Humans can be changed by nature, drawn by it’s ability to make us feel comforted in its presence.
Energeia: Solace #1 Energeia: Solace #2
both:
2009
24″ x 20″
Oil on canvas
Becky Kisabeth Gibbs 