- Venue
- Harrington Mill Studios
- Location
- East Midlands
I have never understood the joy of running. I have never crossed that pain barrier where the agony of a pumping heart and heavy limbs is superseded by the feeling of ecstasy. However, Steffie Richard’s exhibition ‘Run’, inspired by the marathon, has succeeded in unleashing those endorphins which athletes so enjoy.
Her series of paintings on raw linen take the viewer on a physical and emotional journey. The pieces wind round the exhibition space in chronological order following the path of Richard’s marathon.
At first sight the paintings appear to be minimal outlines of figures in the landscape. Ghost like shapes rise and fall, above and below the horizon – a lightness of form which athletes might recognise as 22 out 26 miles of a marathon are spent in the air.
Threads of colour weave across the work like embroidery – emphasising the pace and monotony of the run, deliberate and repetitive. As the viewer is drawn to the detail, the physicality and painterly qualities of the brush strokes exercise the eye and stimulate the grey matter – all without moving a muscle.
‘Levitate or What?’ is the most minimal of the canvases. Continuous white lines define athletes, the countryside and the horizon like a pulse on a heart monitor, reminding the viewer of the dichotomy of an experience that is both gruelling and euphoric.
Two video installations record of the marathon. ‘Can you see it… Can You Feel It?’ is the viewpoint of a camera strapped to Richard’s waist during an event in Lanzarote. Rhythm and movement are captured on tape as the lens swings from side to side recording every step. However, these images are more literal and provide fewer clues as to the emotional highs which Richards manages to achieve so beautifully in the paintings.
