”Tryptichon” by Natalie Detsch Southworth
Dear Constantin,
I feel very honored that you chose my artwork for your Saatchi Online-Collection. Your theory of „Archetypal Expressionism“ and the third paradigm interests me greatly.
It makes me happy and puts me at ease that my work has a strong familiarity with your concept.
I’ve always found it difficult to explain and/or translate my work to other people. This is because through a significant part of my artistic work and process I let myself be guided. It is not a fully conscious process that determines the path which my art is following; I mainly follow my emotions and inner guidance.
Reading your theory of „Archetypal Expressionism“ has made me realize, that a lot of the shapes I find and select (they do have a „special emotional and spiritual impact on me!“) are forms of inner life and are universal symbols. Interestingly my latest work has been on the theme of music.
This conscious and subconscious „search for common cultural roots that lies between the real and the imaginery“ I consider as my „job“ which fills me with great satisfaction.
My development as an artist and as a person has been a journey with stop-overs in several present foreign and ancient cultures; I have been fascinated with the ancient and the old world for a long time.
During the last years at school I learnt latin and there was a strong attraction and interest for mythology. We also read Aeschylos (Orestie, Goethe (Faust) and Kleist (Penthesilea). These pieces of literature nurtured my inner self and gave me a great sense of satisfaction. It was also my first encounter with „the mothers“.
A seven month trip across the African continent triggered something inside me. I had seen patterns, symbols, encountered mythology, life/death situations and a wonderful array of colours that left a deep sense of inspiration within me and created a foundation for my artistic vision.
I consequently started studies of Social Anthropology in the search of understanding more of these ancient human patterns of emotional expressionism and spirituality. It seemed the right thing to do at the time but it was all very theoretical and lacked life. My forms and symols are inspired by life.
There was also a short encounter with the theories of C.G. Jung.
After I left the art school the real journey started – painting the forms and symbols that expressed my feelings and experiences of the world.
Nowadays I refer to books of ancient civilisations to reconnect myself to the „ancient world“. Then I just let it happen and these forms „just come out of me“.
I can also reconnect with children’s paintings; they have such a strong expression and connection to the soul.
Finding the shapes of „…inner lives and common cultural roots that lies between the real and the imaginary“ is my reality. It gives me deep satisfaction to express them. I can see that my art is following „ancient traditions in making art” and the shapes and symbols are being translated and newly interpreted though my own vision!
Many thanks Constantin for giving me this new insight and I will happily follow my journey!
I wish you all the best and hopefully we will meet up one day!
Nathalie
Artist’s site: http://www.nathaliedetsch.ch/
Saatchi Online page: http://www.saatchionline.com/DetschSouthworth
The Alchemical City 