Deanne Eccles
BODY SENSE PORTAL
Courage $2,700
Deanne Eccles’ exhibition ‘Body Sense Portal’ is a collection of oil paintings created between 2020 and 2023.
As the viewer, Eccles invites you to stand before a painting and absorb its atmosphere. She encourages you to shift your focus away from your intellect and into your body’s sense perception. Soften your gaze and take notice of the forms and colours. Observe which part of your body comes to your awareness, whether it’s your neck, chest or elbow etc. Stay curious and avoid the urge to analyse or judge. Allow the interplay of colour, form, atmosphere and your body sense perception to to create a personal and immersive experience. There is no right or wrong way to approach this process, as it enables you to engage in a personal dialogue with abstract art.
Eccles has been exploring ‘Body Sense’ painting techniques for twenty years. She has been inspired by Goethe’s theory of colour and philosophy. ‘…to whom nature begins to unveil her open secrets, feels an irresistible longing for her worthiest interpreter, art!’
Recently she held a solo exhibition, collaborating with musicians Gelareh Pour and Kaylie Melville. Together, they used the Body Sense techniques to compose and perform music inspired by the paintings.
The paintings in the exhibition were inspired by themes that challenged Eccles personally and are relevant to all of us throughout our lives. These themes include, ‘courage, compassion, freedom, inner balance, and inspiration'.
When creating new works, Eccles focusses her consciousness on her body while holding a theme within her intention. A colour will reveal itself as an urge, and then the form slowly reveals itself within that colour on the canvas. This slow and immersive technique requires heightened awareness and concentration.
Eccles is passionate about the profound impact art can have on us as sentient beings, beyond just pretty pictures on the wall. By allowing ourselves to shift our observation and experience the work, we can discover more about ourselves and connect with art on a deeper level.