COMPASS
Four paintings correspond to the four points of a compass—north, west, south, and east—together forming a panoramic view of the inland ponds. Each direction is connected by the datum line of the horizon, where land, water, and sky converge across the gallery space.
The viewer occupies the center: the fixed point, or marker, of the compass. From this position, the paintings become both separate directions and parts of a single continuous landscape.
Ethereal depictions of the landscape expand on the tradition of landscape painting with process and materiality. Reminiscent of aquarelle/colour field painting/staining, Houston’s works are parallel to the viewer’s memory with colour and line in the positive while inviting the viewer to contemplate the negative space and textures found in the warp + weft of the certified Belgian linen. Acrylic, archival ink + Japanese graphite on Belgian linen.
ArtsNL Professional Project Grant 2021/2022
