Goodman Gallery is delighted to present Unutterable, a new series of paintings by Rose Shakinovsky and her first presentation in London. This series stems from internet images gathered over the past four years, covering wars, social unrest, migration and climate devastation.

Through a process of digitally altering found images to mimic traditional abstract painterly qualities, Shakinovsky was able to create the foundation for each work. This unplanned process enabled a reconfiguration of the original narrative into a language of sensation that still retained the essence of the event. Through this a strange visual language of self-generated abstract forms and unexpected compositions emerge. Translating these digital images back into oil paint completed the evolution of the work. The paintings are direct copies of the digital prints with no further manipulation or aesthetic decisions. The process is akin to precise copying of medieval manuscripts with no room for error. The work, therefore, defies traditional artistic conventions that define abstract art as either self-expressive or formal, detached from political and social circumstances.

“I have always been interested in the post-linguistic, when words fail or cannot contain an emotion, whether it be horrific or sublime. Painting offers just that alternative to evoke more psychological associations and memories that are not clearly defined but resonate deeply. Painting offers a space for catharsis and contemplation,” Rose Shakinovsky