Thin Air

Through portraiture, still life, and landscape, Amsterdam-based artist Hannah van Bart explores the relationship between abstraction and figuration as a subjective one. Employing bold contours, fragmentation, pattern, and repetition, van Bart redefines the distinction between a figure and its environment. This method of depiction creates a perceived state of flux between interior and exterior, suggesting a connection between the emotional and physical lives of her subjects. In this work, the artist presents the body of a standing figure of a girl as if it were a cabinet with drawers that open, or as a mechanical doll with component parts that can be disassembled. The repetition of forms creates the illusion of dynamic animation, bringing the girl to life like a marionette.