Sophie Coleman is heavily inspired by kitsch, pop, and internet culture, Coleman takes elements like colour or shape and uses them within abstract expressionist painting. Working with bright colours in flat blocks with little tone or dimension. Using a mathematical, organised approach to creating patterns and straight lines which can feel almost synthetic, then combining it with unmistakably handmade marks like a splatter or a brushstroke. This creates a tension as the controlled precision is ruined with one quick movement.

Patterns are a recurring theme within the work, often inspired from movies or advertising. The pattern represents kitsch, the idea of mass-production under capitalism and the act of hand-painting a pattern which can easily be bought or found is somewhat ironic, as her work often is. By using expressive marks on top of this pattern, it once again creates that tension between the ideas of mass-production and abstract expressionist painting.​​

Recent work has been using a ‘queer colour palette’ to explore domestic themes, exploring the idea of queer domesticity and suburbia in a camp way. Coleman aims to create art that is fun to look at, oversaturated, gaudy and ridiculous. The foray into queer domesticity has led my work away from abstraction and has become focused on capturing hyper realised snapshots of domestic settings, often including three dimensional elements to achieve this goal. Dado rails and tongue and groove panelling used to form the suggestion of a wall, which becomes ironic when the canvas itself is then placed on a wall. Patterns and shapes taken from the familiar interior of an everyday home; light switches and frames residing within paintings.

www.sophiecolemanartist.com
Instagram: @soapycoleman