I had been contemplating how the pace of life had changed during the Covid Pandemic. At moments time seemed to stand still and other times it seemed to race by. I came upon the word Catena, which means related moments or an inter-locking chain. The word Catena spoke to me about my search to find meaning and beauty through my painting process. “Catena” seemed to describe the suspended life I was living. My use of alchemy and the transformation of materials continued in the Catena Series. The Series searches for reconciliation, contentment and beauty.
--- Virginia Bradley
This is the first in a series of studio interviews where Stephanie Kouloganis and Virginia Bradley discuss Bradley's studio practice, inspiration, different painting series and life as a painter. In this one they are exploring the Catena Series, the motivations behind it, studio life and much more. The Catena series is comprised of eight 48” x 36” x 2.5” birch panels, began in August 2020 and traverses a wide territory with the common denominator being a horizon that is sometimes obvious or buried beneath the surface of the image. At the time of the interview Catena 1, 2 and 3 were finished and the others still in development.
