Ross Marie-Therese
The Fear Of Losing My Soul
Oil on wood and wire
2022
Marie-Thérèse Ross explores the hidden workings of the mind, focussing on states of physical, emotional & psychological transformation. Her work appears humorous as well as darkly subversive, as she seems to hide herself in plain sight. She seeks to both reveal and hide difficult childhood memories, episodes that reflect on her own sense of vulnerability and mortality. Her work might hang on the wall, lean, or sit between wall and floor, or move completely into the physical space of the viewer. In a recent solo show at The Stone Space in London, she incorporated her sculptures into an atmospheric installation with accompanying music creating an immersive environment. Sculptures are fragmented to capture the sensation of movement, including flight, as well as the drawn line. Imagery is used as a container for our consciousness, and the vehicle in her exploration of themes.
Her sculptures are made of a combination of laminated wood parts, found objects and up-cycled wood, which is carved away and painted, adding an extra layer of expression and meaning to the whole. Found objects are integrated and sublimated into the works. The mass of wood echoes the drawn and cut-out lines found in her drawings and collages, lending itself well to her process of working. Dowels join and secure pieces together, often left exposed rather than smoothed away and hidden. Surfaces are not polished, the grain of the wood is left visible, and the process of making revealed.
Marie-Thérèse Ross MRSS is a member of The Royal Society of Sculptors. She has recently been awarded the Eilean Shona Residency, sponsored by Vanessa Branson on the West Coast of Scotland. She is an Art Gemini Prize winner (2021), and her work was recently featured in Flux Review issue 7. Her work has been exhibited at the Royal Cambrian Academy, The Stone Space, APT Deptford.
