Bianca Slade’s powerful work incorporates mark-making techniques with colour repetition. She begins each piece with a single colour on wood, and evolves from that first mark, creating meditative, organic works that both soothe and intrigue the viewer.
Two clear themes are apparent in Bianca’s practice: monochromatic works that speak the language of colour and form, conveying unity, togetherness, similarities and differences. The colours she uses, and the moment in time each work is created make each piece unique, but the works contain an innate sense of peace. The repetition within tessellated linework is mesmerising, ideas of motion creating a sense of light and shade, contrast and movement.
The other theme in Bianca’s work is the interplay between perfection and imperfection. Growing up living with her grandmother and one of her aunts, who lived with Down syndrome, the artist experienced this interplay on a daily basis:
“My aunty would ‘write’ in lined notebooks for hours every day and file the books once they were filled. Countless books featured many millions of tiny marks, all perfectly imperfect, and this has inspired the organic marks I use in my work.”
Born and raised in Penshurst, Victoria, Bianca now lives in Ballarat after spending many years in the Outback. There is a sense of the powerful effect of Australia’s inland desert on her work, and she explains that it is all inspired by life, and concepts that pertain to humanity:
“Time and time again, I find myself going back to themes of unity, similarities and differences, simplicity. I work with acrylic paint because I love the fast-drying, versatility of it – and its low toxicity.”
Bianca is also an accomplished food photographer and stylist and is known for capturing the beauty and the audacity of what we eat in her other guise as the founder of Wholefood Simply. She believes that her skill and passion were nurtured in her by the knowledge of one of her other aunts, also an artist, and it is her guidance and expertise that has acted as her ‘number-one teacher’.
A collection of Bianca Slade's work was recently featured on Selling Houses Australia.
