Artists Statement
BeLeave in Britain,
Oil on paper,
112x76cm,
2023
Twinkle Troughton
Artist Statement
Recent inspiration for my paintings comes from UK landscapes which provide a backdrop for me to explore my conflicting feelings of love for a country which I have found increasingly unsettling in recent years.
I paint in reverse, with whole surfaces of canvas or paper covered in oil paint and linseed before brushes and solvents are used to remove the paint to create luminosity and form. I am excited by the alchemical reaction of oil paint, mediums and solvents which results in decay, distortion, corrosion and light.
My work is informed by both the personal and the political. For example, my family’s German heritage has created an intrigue in the landscapes which hold traces of stories I’ve been told of my Nana’s life in Holland and Germany during and post WWII. A love of storytelling and for nature, and a strong connection to my European heritage informs much of the content, whilst the societal often underlies the work.
My current focus is topiary gardens; originally a European creation hailing from ancient Rome, the tradition of topiary gardens eventually found its way into the grounds of stately homes around the UK, denoting wealth and status. Many of my paintings, which can pull between the abstract and the figurative, feature ominous lone topiaries revealed in a haunting light, with the solvents and paints interacting so that they literally erode the landscape they depict, acting as a metaphor for the country’s now fragile relationship with our closest neighbours, and a class system which clings onto notions of an empire that no longer exists.
About
Twinkle Troughton (b. 1978, Coventry, UK) lives and works in Margate. Twinkle has exhibited widely throughout the UK and internationally, has work in international collections, and has curated multiple group exhibitions. As well as painting, music and writing have both also played important roles in Twinkle’s creative work; once a singer in punk-rock group The Fairies Band and co-founder of indie-label Pushing Pussy Records, Twinkle is currently also the editor for Margate Mercury as well as a regular writer for the magazine. Twinkle studied Fine Art Intermedia (BAHons) at Kingston University in 1998, and in 2023 will be starting an MA in Fine Art at City & Guilds School of Art in London.
Artist Statement
Recent inspiration for my paintings comes from UK landscapes which provide a backdrop for me to explore my conflicting feelings of love for a country which I have found increasingly unsettling in recent years.
I paint in reverse, with whole surfaces of canvas or paper covered in oil paint and linseed before brushes and solvents are used to remove the paint to create luminosity and form. I am excited by the alchemical reaction of oil paint, mediums and solvents which results in decay, distortion, corrosion and light.
My work is informed by both the personal and the political. For example, my family’s German heritage has created an intrigue in the landscapes which hold traces of stories I’ve been told of my Nana’s life in Holland and Germany during and post WWII. A love of storytelling and for nature, and a strong connection to my European heritage informs much of the content, whilst the societal often underlies the work.
My current focus is topiary gardens; originally a European creation hailing from ancient Rome, the tradition of topiary gardens eventually found its way into the grounds of stately homes around the UK, denoting wealth and status. Many of my paintings, which can pull between the abstract and the figurative, feature ominous lone topiaries revealed in a haunting light, with the solvents and paints interacting so that they literally erode the landscape they depict, acting as a metaphor for the country’s now fragile relationship with our closest neighbours, and a class system which clings onto notions of an empire that no longer exists.
About
Twinkle Troughton (b. 1978, Coventry, UK) lives and works in Margate. Twinkle has exhibited widely throughout the UK and internationally, has work in international collections, and has curated multiple group exhibitions. As well as painting, music and writing have both also played important roles in Twinkle’s creative work; once a singer in punk-rock group The Fairies Band and co-founder of indie-label Pushing Pussy Records, Twinkle is currently also the editor for Margate Mercury as well as a regular writer for the magazine. Twinkle studied Fine Art Intermedia (BAHons) at Kingston University in 1998, and in 2023 will be starting an MA in Fine Art at City & Guilds School of Art in London.