Erika Somogyi “Reawakening”
The artist's compositions include portions of the female figure set within interlacing patterns. Young women appear in various actions in nature--reading in a garden, bird watching, listening to the sound of an emptied conch, and peering through the openings in a latticework fence. Dragonflies, butterflies, and species of flowers (poppies, daffodils, roses, and forsythia) are inspired by photographs Somogyi takes in Brooklyn of her flower garden, her childrens' excitement of viewing insects through a magnifying glass, and the unexpected appearance of wildlife in New York during the pandemic. Other elements capture memories of family camping trips at the seaside, lighting candles by a fire, playing cards, or cooling off with a handmade paper fan. Rectangular playing cards spiral like the roundness of a shell, and cascade like waterfalls. The peaceful enjoyment of the natural world, contemplation, spirituality, and calm, lend a feel of relaxation to each scene.
Somogyi uses a layered approach to creating her compositions. Starting with an under drawing, she chooses a particular set of colors to wash over the surface of the paper that she then joins with abstract patterns comprised of repeated lines and waves. From this imagery, Somogyi defines the figurative aspects of her work with paint--flowers, cards, hands, and the faces of her subjects. At times her linear patterns bend into the outline of a woman's face in profile, reverberating in space. Other times her repeated waves suggest a gaze into an endless sea, the sensorial qualities of flowing and crashing water, and different forms of energy such as air, sound, and heat.
Words and images via Kristin Lorello, NYC.
