Paula Keyth’s work is alchemical in the most basic sense: In the paintings, feline, human and piscine forms turn hybrid; shapes shift, co-mingle, or appear from the ether; figures become abstract and vice versa. From beneath surface, ghostly images reveal themselves, emerging from an earthly prison. Inspired by Francisco Goya’s black paintings, the figures often deal with the darker side of the human condition, cruelty, and the fear of the unknown.
Paula Keyth began as an experimental painter creating textures with splatters, swirls, and drips, much in the spirit of William Turner. Over the course of time, figures began to emerge. In her words, “The paintings begin as mere strokes until images start to form, making their own conversations. I am merely an assistant, I let the paint tell me what to do.”
Another painter, who has inspired her work with his raw and direct approach, is Francis Bacon. She explains: “the accidents of the paint are as important as the rendering of the image. I want to paint with lucidity, while remaining in an unconscious state.” Walking the tightrope between abstract expressionism and figurative paintings, she creates images that are at once monstrous and beautiful.
When asked about the ‘Transmutation’ series specifically, she sums it up: “In short, it’s about the alteration of one species into another; In spite of differences, we can all feel. I want to meld together different conversations that tell the same story. The story is in the paintings.”
Paula Keyth grew up in New York City. She has also lived and studied art in England, San Francisco, Rome, and Portland. Pulling from her multifold experiences, she attempts to assemble the dark pieces of the past. She is driven by dreams, music, poetry and insanity.
Paula Keyth began as an experimental painter creating textures with splatters, swirls, and drips, much in the spirit of William Turner. Over the course of time, figures began to emerge. In her words, “The paintings begin as mere strokes until images start to form, making their own conversations. I am merely an assistant, I let the paint tell me what to do.”
Another painter, who has inspired her work with his raw and direct approach, is Francis Bacon. She explains: “the accidents of the paint are as important as the rendering of the image. I want to paint with lucidity, while remaining in an unconscious state.” Walking the tightrope between abstract expressionism and figurative paintings, she creates images that are at once monstrous and beautiful.
When asked about the ‘Transmutation’ series specifically, she sums it up: “In short, it’s about the alteration of one species into another; In spite of differences, we can all feel. I want to meld together different conversations that tell the same story. The story is in the paintings.”
Paula Keyth grew up in New York City. She has also lived and studied art in England, San Francisco, Rome, and Portland. Pulling from her multifold experiences, she attempts to assemble the dark pieces of the past. She is driven by dreams, music, poetry and insanity.