Heather Boxall Paintings

Heart of Darkness – 2015

A series of 10 paintings that reference the work of Joseph Conrad’s Heart of Darkness first published in 1899.

These paintings are inspired by the descriptive colour Conrad used throughout his novel, Heart of Darkness. Conrad’s writing draws attention to aspects of the African continent, its people, landscape, and the pervading colonial attitudes of his time.

The paintings in this series, followed part of a body of research focusing on ‘black’, which initially began as an exploration of black through bird motifs and their iridescent colours. Heather’s interest in the use of black pigments and cultural interpretations of ‘black’ which include racism, developed into her exploration of Conrad’s work. Struck by just how much colour his writings referenced throughout the narrative, Heather developed this small series.

An analysis of the language of colour in Conrad’s writing can be read in David Batchelor’s Chromophobia, Chapter 1 Whitescapes. Published 2000

Into the Yellow

Great White Mother

Brother Phantom

Black Hen

White Surf

Pink Pyjamas

Silver

Scarlet Bodies

Blue Fringe

Dark Blue Space

Gallery installation ‘Least Legible’ exhibition 2016