"Each canvas begins one way and ends another; the present is there, but the past tends to creep in."
Louise Almon grew up in the Eastern Cape and studied art at the Rhodes University Art School and the University of Cape Town, graduating in 1981. Based in Johannesburg for more than 20 years, she currently lives and works in Cape Town.
Almon developed her technique of multi-layered monotypes over many years. It is a technique of applying oil-based ink onto a large surface of glass and lifting off the colour, layer by layer, allowing the colour to dry between each lift-off. Once a number of colour layers have been created, black ink is rolled onto the glass before paper is laid face down on the black ink. At this point, Almon draws the conceptualised image, which appears on the back of the paper. When the paper is lifted off, the image appears in reverse, creating works that are completely unique and impossible to reprint.
"Every day I find myself 'searching for the city', searching for the imagery that reflects not only the physicality of this city, but more importantly, its energy, and the still unexplored spaces of its people. In the process of trying to 'find the city', I have also been exploring a new way of depicting images, new techniques of using paint, and also a more colourful yet simple palette. I’ve been thinking about colour and ways to make colour speak to its intrinsic meaning. This body of work is the beginning and, at the same time, an innovation of the past and exploration into the future; a reflection in images of life itself."
