MOTHER OF PEARL
KEIJSERS KONING
DALLAS, TX
Oct. 15 – Nov. 19, 2022

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Keijsers Koning is pleased to present Mother of Pearl, an exhibition of new works by Natalie Westbrook.  This is the artist’s first solo show with the gallery.  The exhibition features seven new paintings, and Westbrook’s first voyage into sculpture. The work explores themes of progeny and pathos conjured through an imaginative world and variably integrated material techniques.

The title Mother of Pearl refers to the iridescent interior of a mollusk, emerging from a living organism forming a protective shell. The shell is composed of the same material as the pearl. The latter is highly sought after; the shell, although vital, is usually a mere throwaway.  It is this cultural value that becomes a consideration within the work, as questions of aesthetics and its values are tested.

The exhibition’s tone is set by a 12 foot painting titled The Hunt, a loose reference to Peter Paul Rubens’ painting The Hippopotamus and Crocodile Hunt.  The Hunt is elaborate in its depictions, color and forms, and shares the theatrical extravagance of the Baroque masterpiece. The difference is set within Westbrook’s ability to depict and animate inner narration and allow the viewer into a psychological interior. 

The exhibition space is divided by the interjection of the sculptures, resting on pedestals that vary in height and width.  This aberration adds to the displacement of objects that feel familiar yet divergent in space, texture, and color.  The sculptures are a physical manifestation and expansion of the dialogue that one finds in the canvas. Both slip between the natural world and cultural constructions, making the imaginative subconscious realm even more palpable. 

Slithering through these constructs are two sculptures of snakes; symbolizing both good and evil, venom and medicine, death and regeneration.  The duality allows for an awakening, as we look through each work at our own experience of youth— raw, unrefined yet taking form. 

For more information visit: www.keijserskoning.com/exhibitions/16-mother-of-pearl-natalie-westbrook-s-first-solo-exhibition-with-the-gallery/overview/