Hannah Cornish

My work is about interior spaces from memory and observation. I explore different viewpoints and the feeling of the spaces through colour, shape and surface.

I am curious about the arrangement of what is in different spaces, how we move through them and how those spaces make us feel physically and emotionally. I explore how spaces can be re-shaped and the sense of empty space. I intentionally contrast broad shapes with thin lines to create visual tension. I work intuitively, responding to what is on the surface. This results in opaque and transparent layers, giving a sense of searching, rearranging and change. I aim for a sense of depth, reflection, calmness and harmony.

I work with acrylic and oil paint. I allow for painterly brushstrokes to contrast with glossy and matt areas which are flat and more uniformed in appearance. I am inspired by the perspectives and interiors in Renaissance paintings particularly Botticelli and Vermeer’s paintings. The depth of field draws me to the story telling and gives a strong sense of the setting. I am also influenced by Rachel Whiteread’s sculptures of negative space that becomes a solid form holding memory from personal and collective experiences. I am very drawn to Richard Wilson’s non-site specific installation 20:50 which is, in part, about changing our perception of space through the unconventional material of oil. The highly reflective surface and emphasis on the horizontal is peaceful and immersive, two attributes I aim for in my own work.