20 Jan FRIEZE LONDON – CAROLINE WALKER
The first time I saw one of Caroline Walker ‘s paintings online I finally felt represented. And the most soul-stirring aspect was the fact I found a part of me that I didn’t even know I needed to see depicted. Changing Pillowcases, Mid Morning, March showed the artist’s mother doing one of the house chores I’m usually not very fond of, yet every time I go through the actual motion I find myself equally calm and composed. I proceeded to delve into the Janet series only to recognize fragments of my own life: proudly making the bathroom sink shine, carefully removing the dust from our artworks, hoovering away whilst getting lost in my thoughts. I instantly knew what was so enthralling about the whole experience was seeing all the overlooked gestures and actions that are part of women’s everyday lives celebrated on canvas. Going into Frieze London, I wrote down the booths I would need to find so I could finally see two of Caroline Walker ‘s artworks up close.
As I am writing this, I am acquainted with the artist’s oeuvre, thanks to her beautifully organized website (I cannot stress enough how much I love to find the body of works categorized by series and the fact I can see the titles for all of them, when I do my research for a post it can sometimes be difficult to find all these details in one place), yet there is something that always draws me back to Janet and I don’t think it can be explained just by the fact it is the first series I discovered. There is just such tremendous warmth, all throughout the changing seasons and actions of her mother, that reveals not only the fact that the artist has experienced the same situations herself, but also the familiarity towards the main character. I will be the first one to admit I enjoy being in a relationship where I hardly ever do any cooking, and I am helped by my partner with many aspects of our home, but for the most of the cleaning of the house, I am quite particular I should be the one to do it. It’s a task I took upon myself in part because I have studied with a lot of interest Microbiology in Med School, and this can make you go overboard with the cleaning at times, but also thanks to how I was raised by my mother. I was the only “intruder” allowed throughout my mom’s meticulous cleaning process, even though she always wanted the house empty so she could move in her own pace. By doing so, she hoped to instill in me the same duty, which I would argue she managed quite nicely, but what I really loved about watching her was seeing the focus and her glow. Caroline Walker magically captures that exact atmosphere, the reverence towards her mother’s labour, which shouldn’t be taken for granted.
Changing Pillowcases, Mid Morning, March, 2020, oil on linen, 190 x 240cm
I think the greatest revelation that came from discovering Caroline Walker’s art was understanding an aspect I couldn’t quite grasp about my own relationship with my mom. Every time she would come visit, the first thing she would do was to compliment me on how tidy my home is. My partner always found it funny that this actually irritated me, I didn’t get why the first subject of discussion would have to be this- aren’t there more interesting and important topics to talk about? Upon seeing the artist’s mother through her own eyes, I now comprehend that this observation my mom would always make is actually a love language for “I see all the hard work you do, and I admire and appreciate you for it”.
It was only fitting that the first painting I would see in real life would feature the artist’s mother. What I couldn’t foresee was how mesmerized I would be about the loose brushwork. Maybe it’s because I couldn’t tell by looking online that her figurative painting employs such a technique, I haven’t seen details of her artworks, which is why I chose to include a couple of them here on the blog, so you can get the slightest idea of how I felt admiring them. It transported me back to my first trip to Paris. I was 18 and I was going to present a video game me and my classmates made for a competition. I had one day to visit the city and I chose to visit the Orsay Museum and the Louvre (so crazy to think it was a time when I didn’t even pay a ticket for the Louvre and I got there at 5pm and there was no cue, somehow I magically walked right through the door). I started with the Orsay Museum not knowing what I would find there. It was un coup de foudre once I saw the Impressionists. I would just take steps back and then come up close repeatedly in front of Manet and Monet’s artworks and I just thought I would never get this feeling again.
In Watering, Late Evening June we see our favorite character nurturing her plants. I was fascinated with the use of the cold-warm contrast and the blue tones outside, thus conveying the inside of the greenhouse such radiance. This painting also gave me the hope that, with a lot of patience and affection I can continue to grow the small family of plants on my balcony.
And just as I couldn’t get over the masterfully painted canvas, nearby, at another booth I saw once again Caroline Walker ‘s impeccable painting, this time on a small board. I have always thought large canvases usually command attention and manage to steal the show in such a setting. When a smaller artwork manages to completely draw me right in and makes me forget about the surroundings, that is truly exceptional. The brushwork employed on the floor, once again the incredible blue tones, there is no denying Caroline Walker will always be one of my favorite artists. But there is one more aspect that made my meeting with Patient Details serendipitous. I have never seen my line of work represented so beautifully in art history. Hospitals are not places you will post on social media, and they are certainly not places people take any pleasure in staying more than it’s strictly necessary. But what about the people that are constantly working there? The residency at a Maternity Wing of a Hospital resulted in her Birth Reflections series, where the artist manages to capture the empathy and warmth that characterize medical professionals passionate about their jobs.
To me, Patient Details speaks volumes because I have been on both sides of that room: both as a patient and a doctor. I have been diagnosed with PCOS at 16, so I’ve had plenty of ultrasound checks throughout my life. That moment when the doctor is writing up your information on the keyboard is endearing because my doctor would always take that time for some friendly conversation, just to reassure me. As she would focus on typing in everything, she would also ask me about my symptoms, how I’ve been feeling, how’s the treatment going. When I do a thyroid ultrasound at my own job, I know just how crucial those moments are in keeping the patient calm, especially since first time patients can be stressed about what we’re going to find on the screen. It was also interesting to see my own reality right there, constantly wearing scrubs and the blue masks. I just never thought I would ever see a doctor represented this way, one more reason to love contemporary painting and the work of Caroline Walker!
There are so many roles a woman plays in her household, that have historically considered duties, especially once she becomes a mother. It’s not just physical, but the emotional labour as well, known as kinkeeping, as women are usually the ones to strengthen the family connections, by constantly being in touch and employing various activities. I am grateful to see all the dedication and effort acknowledged and now, thanks to Caroline Walker, even included in art history.
All photos taken by © Adrian Cojocaru
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