Tracy
Duncan lives and works in the Moutere Hills
of Nelson, New Zealand.
Much
of her recent work has focused on the place of
the individual within the (sub)-urban environment,
looking at the delicate intricacies and interplay
of human relationships, and the social mores that
dictate much of our lives, particularly in small
communities. Most recently, her focus has shifted
inward, dictating a more personal response to
place and circumstance.
Her
work is largely figurative, although a tendency
towards occasional "flights of abstract fancy"
has seen her move towards a more abstract treatment
of background spaces in an ongoing bid to capture
the essence of the urban landscape.
"I
want to create art that attracts attention.
The figures that inhabit my canvases are intended
to generate some kind of reaction and recognition.
I believe people are drawn to a work because
they identify with it on an emotional level,
or are discomforted by it for similar reasons.
I
paint about what I see and experience, and as
such, see my themes as both intensely personal
and universal."
She
is fascinated by the way traditional fairy tales
created fantastical worlds and situations as a
way of teaching moral lessons and guidelines for
life, and her work often incorporates imagery
and ideas from those stories. Her paintings, like
fairy tales, juxtapose the whimsical with the
macabre to create unique, contemporary works of
art.
|