Recent paintings by artist Drea Cofield. Interested in the way myths create a sense of distance that allows us to engage directly with events or desires we might otherwise find too painful or uncomfortable, Cofield’s colourful nudes align the use of mythic language to the history of painting as a medium. For example, speaking of her use of colour and its connection to both the act and tropes of painting, Cofield states:

“Coloration has a long tradition against purity, and against traditional moral paradigms; our cheeks redden both when we feel ashamed and when we feel desire — the blood becoming visible under flesh. This is a strong metaphor for painting itself: when the paint changes from expressive mark to drawn line to translucent glaze to describe form, it is not only about representation, it speaks to both the hedonism and the faith behind the painting process.”

See more of Cofield’s work below.