Debbie McGrath

My work has been an exploration of personal journeys and the experiences upon which we build our foundations; much in the way I see my own life. The geological term “fault lines” is a metaphor I use to describe the layers in our pasts. It suggests fractures and breaks in continuity, evidence of past movement, changes in direction and upheaval. The natural processes of pressure, resistance, sedimentation, and erosion act upon the earth as the experiences of life act upon us. My work reflects the processes and cycles of our existence, which, like the earth’s strata are layered beneath our exteriors.

In my current paintings I use the frozen terrain of Antarctica’s geological past to symbolise our layered personal journeys. Each brushstroke represents the stratified ice which holds the stories of thousands of years of transformation. The continent’s frozen layers suggest how the moments of our lives are shaped and stored in our memories and how they become our foundations. I endeavour to evoke a sense of the mysteries of life’s unfolding narrative by creating works that invite ambiguity and reflection.