Clara Adolphs

Clara Adolphs
Australian, born 1985; lives and works on the lands of the Gundungurra Nation in the Southern Highlands, New South Wales

Girl, pool 2022
oil on linen
Courtesy of the artist and Hugo Michell Gallery, Kaurna Country/Adelaide

Artist statement:

Referencing anonymous found photographs, my work explores the notion of time and memory. I am fascinated by the question of what remains after a moment has passed.

I paint quickly, sometimes making multiple paintings of the same image, attempting to recreate the life of the photograph. Through this process, the life of the recorded moment has been restored, and in a way, still exists. This is what interests me the most. What is the truer evidence of time, the photograph or the painting?

Girl, pool depicts a figure, originally from a larger scene in a photograph. I have singled her out seeking to fill the distinct space between myself and the subject. Creating a more intimate encounter.

The relationship between the figure and water is also an ongoing interest for me. I enjoy the movement, abstraction and reflection that occurs. These elements interplay in this work.