Curves. We adore them here at Heist, no matter what their width or depth. And we think Caroline Walls’ strokes them beautifully with her brush, revealing the female form in fantastically abstracted shapes. Ahead of her ‘Another Thought’ exhibition in Melbourne, we sat down with her to get her thoughts on her work and what inspires her.
What is your inspiration as an artist?
The defining subject and inspiration for my art practise is the notion of the ‘female’ and all that this word carries with it — strength, sexuality, fragility, sensuality, fertility, burden and beauty.
What is the meaning behind the form you give your figures?
The curves, line and form that make up my drawings and paintings hope to celebrate women and create a dialogue around the empowerment of females in todays cultural sphere through the female gaze.
What does your body mean to you?
My body is home to my mind, my dreams and my creativity and it looks after these things very well.
Who do you feel has been the biggest influence on your work and why?
Quite possibly my Auntie, Adele, she always had a keen interest in the types of art and culture I am now interested in and I think that’s because she introduced me to artists and a certain type of aesthetic through the way she filled her home, dressed and so on from a young age.
How would you describe your relationship with yourself?
I have a lot of inner dialogue with myself and as a whole I really care for me. I look after myself and talk to myself kindly. A keen sense of self-awareness is so important, so I always strive for this.
How have your romantic relationships changed as you’ve got older?
Absolutely, and for the better. I think that came with the territory of truly getting to know my truest self and allowing myself to do this independently – free of any partnership. I am so thankful for that time of pure freedom throughout my twenties that allowed me to explore my loves and interests, my sexuality and general the world at large autonomously. Meaning that entering into a long and loving relationship in my early thirties I could offer my best and fullest self.
What is your favourite possession?
I am not too driven by possessions but my ever-growing collection of ceramics and art books that I’ve collected over the years that are throughout my home – and would be sorely missed if they were gone!
What are you most excited about working on / doing next?
Generally speaking I am looking forward to the continued process of evolvement as a working artist – if you look at my work from 2014 to now the aesthetics of it have changed dramatically (although my subject and inspirations have remained the same), so I am curious to see where my explorations lead me next.
