THE EIGHT VIRTUES
BY 
ANNABEL CHRISTIE

Even for the amateur art historian, it is possible to trace the emergence of modern abstraction during the early years of the 20th Century, through the works of Piet Mondrian, Kasimir Malevich and Wassily Kandinsky. Each bore the stylistic hallmarks of their own national art forms, with their respective personal appended interpretations. To this august loose affiliation of artists, one can add the name of the Czech painter František Kupka who first exhibited a non-figurative painting at the Salon d’Automne in 1912. Of course, each landmark abstract artist held strong views as to what constituted abstraction, and Kupka’s works of the early to mid-1920s clearly explore the complex relationship between colour and geometric form. Added to this the aspect of his practicing as a spiritualist, and it is only too easy to see how his early works might be translated into representing explorative emotional journeys.

Jump forward 100 years, and we are confronted by the current set of 8 works by Annabel Christie. Without too much effort, it is not hard to interpret the contained and coloured cursive forms into endless spiritual or emotional quests, not unlike the 8 biblical virtues of love, patience, humility, forgiveness, compassion, perseverance, faith, and gratitude. Indeed, not far removed from these are an earlier set of virtues encapsulating the knightly pieties, these being: devotions, courtly manners, fellowship, fairness, service, bravery, justice, and piety itself. Such interpretations might well be confirmed by the artist herself, as could the allocation of a named virtue to a specific work.

All the paintings seem to share the same characteristic of an infinite journey with some – but not all - of the brushwork indicating a personal exploration and confrontation with each virtue, as the artist makes her way through the vicissitudes of life. Lighter brushwork could represent periods of uncertainty, a struggle to commit, and a temporary lack of confidence. The heavier coloration and more emphatic brushwork could be the manifestation of determination, fortitude, and conviction.

The choice of colour and the subtlety of its shade to represent any of the virtues, is one of a very personal nature, as is the complexity of the intertwined and nebulous forms. Not all journeys present the same challenges or are of the same length, with each canvas encapsulating a differing and meandering trek.

Sometimes, to achieve clarity and perspective, it is necessary to ‘go back on one’s steps’ encountering en-route multiple reversals of fortune or even wrong turns.
On other occasions, a path is clearer and more direct.
It is also to be remembered that not all journeys meet with resolution and closure, and this is clearly manifest in the complexities of Annabel Christie’s paintings. Only the artist herself will know as to what degree the brush was guiding her, or she the brush – perhaps unconsciously - on its endless and dispassionate, free-form quest.