ABOVE THE CLOUDS, BENEATH THE TREES | BETSY BRADLEY

The painting practice of Betsy Bradley (UK, 1992) stems from careful observation of everyday phenomena and seemingly insignificant occurrences.
Bradley interprets painting broadly, preferring to use tools other than traditional brushes and applying color to various types of surfaces – mainly fabrics – thus defining her own language. Often, the tools she uses are created by herself, with materials found, collected, and assembled. In Bradley’s practice, installation becomes an extension of painting itself.

For Above the Clouds, Beneath the Trees (2021), the artist chose to translate her practice into a common and popular object: the swing. Two long hemp ropes support two cylindrical light wood pieces, the seat’s place is taken by a canvas painted by the artist. The swing has always been a symbol of leisure, an irreplaceable presence in any playground, the favorite destination of young children who, through the swinging movement, experience an overwhelming joy.
The seat is made of soft voile fabric, and the brushstrokes on its surface are bold yet light. Stripes of beige alternate with bright green lawn patches. The sensation one feels when looking at this artwork is serenity mixed with a slight impatience, a desire to sit on it and swing.

Betsy Bradley sees the act of painting as an experience, a discovery, a moment to be fully lived and savored, regardless of the final image that will take shape and emerge. Her works can be understood as a particular variation of performative practice, capable of activating and creating a bridge between thought and action.
The painted swing seat is therefore an invitation to play, to the liberating power of imagination, liberating like soaring through the air, free from one’s own weight and enjoying the moment, between sky and earth.

Betsy Bradley
Above the Clouds, Beneath the Trees, 2021
Acrylic on voile, found wood, hemp rope, 517.5 x 82.4 x 64 cm
Installation view at Ikon Gallery, “Chasing Rainbows”, 2021. Photographer: Stuart Whipps.

04/05/24