Claire GavronskyOut of this world, 2013
Claire Gavronsky’s language incorporates both paintings and drawings that capture intimate moments of human connection amid crisis and displacement. A central thematic is concerning women supporting women, in what the artist calls "fleeting moments," that represent deeper relationships and connections which are often overlooked. The work is a response to ongoing conflicts and warfare, while also addressing femicide as an epidemic in most societies. Rendered in subtle tones with muted backgrounds and dynamic compositions, her paintings feature a gestural approach that recalls Renaissance paintings and red chalk drawings.
A key aspect of Gavronsky’s work is the emphasis on intimate human gestures: embracing, holding and carrying, as forms of resistance and healing. Her paintings capture pairs and groups of women figures in moments of comfort, support and connection. She deliberately strips away background and context to focus on the emotional and physical language between the subjects.
Her approach combines observational drawing with imagination, sometimes using herself and her partner Rose (one half of the collective rosenclaire) as models to capture specific emotional states. Her compositions deliberately place viewers within the supportive circles of women, creating works that go beyond specific periods or geographies while addressing universal experiences of loss, solidarity and conflict.
