Betsy Stirratt's recent paintings refer to both the infinite and the
microscopic and are ultimately metaphysical. Each picture is a constructed
world that utilizes light and dark, and repulsion and attraction to depict
ambiguous spaces and atmospheres. The night sky and the smallest molecule
are referenced and measured, rendered in both representational and abstract
form. Invoking the ghostly, the paranormal and the spiritual, Stirratt
creates an immersive environment that invites contemplation. In introducing
control over this world by measuring and marking the surface, she makes
sense of it. The paintings are made intuitively, based on research into
subjects as diverse as mycology, pathology, botany, memory, imagination,
religion, and spirituality. These interests inform the treatment of the
painted surface, and her fascination with these scientific and spiritual
practices lends the graphic and pictorial elements gravity. The paintings
invoke a mood of cool sadness.
