Cathy Carter‘s new exhibition Goldilocks Zone is an exploration of the relationship between people, place and water.

This new body of work opens up alternative vantage points on a micro-scale, drawing attention to our planet’s privileged position in the ‘Goldilocks Zone’ – an area of our solar system, where life exists solely because water can exist in a liquid state.

Instead of looking at bodies of water, these works examine individual drops as a metaphor for the unity which is imperative in the pursuit of solutions to the many environmental issues facing water. Water is the essence of our survival, required by all known life. Yet, perhaps because of its ubiquitousness, contemporary water is in a precarious condition.

A meditative observation of water has taken form on found, hydrophobic materials through the natural processes of precipitation and condensation. The work considers the individuality of droplets, drawing lines of light and shadow to reveal edges. Captured through a macro lens these large works highlight transparent, reflective surfaces, revealing lines across convex meniscus orbs, which bend, refract and morph each droplet into a miniature world of contemplation.

The familiar forms created in this process-led approach, are curiously reminiscent of those found in the natural world, while the potency of the compositions extend beyond the picture plane. In this respect, Carter’s glossy chromatic arrangements can also be read as metaphysical topography, referring as much to psychological and liminal spaces, as to physical spaces. Within these landscapes, there is an opportunity to reconnect emotionally with the natural world, as well as make connections with internal worlds.

Cathy Carter is a supporter of Sustainable Coastlines

https://sustainablecoastlines.org/about/our-story/