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Tanya Blong
Before I went under, and its peaceful in the deep
2023
Acrylic on canvas
600mm (H) x 500mm (W)
Tanya Blong’s figurative work speak to a moment in time. Heated summers being a backdrop to society at leisure, languid and idle, a juxtaposition to the fast-paced modern world. It is a dual commentary, an immersion into a slow sensory world, filled with the poetics of life, whilst floating ideas of the luxury of time, access and inclusion.
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NZ$1,800.00
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Artist Statement
The interest in “state of Leisure” relates to the sensory state of being at leisure, the moments when we are idle, when we pause, how this opening of being present within our body creates connections to nature, ourselves and others, slowing down time. It looks at the escapism of water, and the inner being of this watery landscape. It can bring up questions of the luxury of time and the tension between a commerce – based society and a nature – connected world, raising important questions about our values and priorities.
About the Artist
Tanya Blong
Raised on the shores of Taranaki, extensive travel has influenced and directed Tanya Blong's work. Studying in the bush in Puhoi, north of Auckland, Blong graduated from Hungry Creek and Craft school in 2006 majoring in painting and sculpture, before furthering her academic studies under Deborah Crowe at Browne School of Art in 2020.
Tanya Blong’s work speaks to a moment in time, heated summers being the backdrop to society at leisure and comments on the act of being idle. It's not only the sensory aspect of this state of being but looking at leisure throughout history and what it looks like for people today. The luxury of time is a major theme with questions posed of access, privilege and exclusion.
Colour plays a large role in the work, with the use of non-local colour creating a dreamlike quality, setting the scene for a host of characters and an ambiguous narrative. Blong is always looking to push colour and create a frequency with placement and layering.
