March 22nd 2014

Comfort, one of the new limited editions we’ve just added to the website, is I think possibly my favourite piece by Carne Griffiths to date. Maybe it’s because with its luxurious autumnal hues it feels just perfect for this time of year, I don’t know, but somehow I have a connection with it. The beautiful, innocent-looking girl that features, with her princess Diana gaze, sits isolated in the centre of the paper, her snow-white face gently cocooned by her long auburn hair which blends into the material of her jacket, which in turn seems to become leaves and foliage as the artist blends the elements together in his signature style of mark-making.

Two foxes, not immediately noticeable, sit huddled to her chest, as if encased in an invisible shawl, cosy and warm. One is asleep and one appears as timid as the girl; there’s a feeling of vulnerability about this work, however the overall feel for me is stillness, peace and yes, Comfort.

In contrast to Comfort, Guilt is a much more expressive piece, however still focuses on human feeling and emotion. Here, energetic splashes and gestural lines are used as the artist illustrates this mental state; the head of the subject appears to be exploding as built up remorse tries to force its way out. A solitary, slightly masked eye peers out from the surface of the paper, engaging the viewer and encouraging us to explore the piece further. I find myself wondering whether this person is in fact guilty or perhaps just accused; Griffiths leaves this open I think, for us to make our own decision.

In Fragment, again the subject meets our eye. This piece however is less about emotion for me and more literal, although no doubt it’s a metaphor - again this is for us to decide ourselves. There’s more white space in this piece, but the intensity is still there. What looks like shards of glass seem to be exploding from just below the subject’s left eye, the right hand side of her face encased in flowers and foliage. The mark-making here is truly stunning and I love the introduction of violet which is not often seen in other works. All three prints are excellently priced at just £170. See them all along with other works by Carne here.

Creative Director