SACRUMThe presence and absence of light is fundamental to these images. The fabrics I select behave like a kind of photographic negative blocking and allowing light according to their thickness and arrangement on the light box. In addition, the x-rays offer a parallel element to the garments, presenting the viewer with the most internal and conversely external architecture of the human body. My interest with this sequence is to suggest and awaken certain trains of thought and feeling through the arrangement of material and manipulation of images. To provide contemplative points of focus to the viewer as they stare into the tangled webs of bone and gauze. This series is the product of a long period of experimentation. Through the process of sourcing, arranging and documenting materials I developed a way of visualizing final images based on the particular qualities of fabric and understanding of symmetry. This cultivated way of seeing transforms ordinary bit of lace, garments and curtain into complete symmetrical images long before the photograph is captured. My concept for the arrangement of the exhibition is inspired by Mark Rothko's Segrin series. Having experienced these murals at the Tate Modern in London I became interested in his concept of creating a 'place' with his images. In a similar way the arrangement of my photographs facilitates a relationship between the disparate images, represented by an additional mirror aspect as they face each other on the gallery wall. This work is exemplary of my creative vision, encompassing new techniques and digital applications around the premise of balance, connection and symmetry.
MIRRORED PARTS, SACRED PLACES The common thread running through discourses on beauty are most often based on the elements of clarity, symmetry, harmony and vivid colour. These properties are synonymous with geometric form and balance. For the photographic work in 'Sacrum', Meg Cowell has embraced these principles. Her compositions have pleasing harmony and rhythm, gratifying the visual senses. Her aesthetic approach is based on proportion and structure where she amalgamates mirrored parts that fit harmoniously into a seamless whole, like a butterfly with splendid wings radiating out from the central thorax. These symmetrical arrangements around a central pod give the exhibition its title 'Sacrum', referring to the physical structure within the pelvic region. Meg Cowell's works are as ambiguous as they are structured. Through folds, seams, threads and bones she expresses a delicacy showing an internal world of sensuous places. The paired folds reveal an inner life of luscious drapes and enveloped spaces. This is a sacred place, a foramen, an orifice. Vividly translucent, light passes through texture, weave and skeleton in these sumptuous images, where one becomes intimate with the anatomy of lace and the lattice of bones. The mirror imaging as a compositional device references the psychiatrist Rorschach's inkblots, used to interpret personality characteristics in patients. Through her recent photographic work, there is evidence that emerging artist Meg Cowell has gained insight into her own creative character. The integration of emotional perception, creative intuition and her inquisitive sense of the psyche, reflects her developing maturity as an artist. Through exploring a diverse range of evocative subjects, surreal topics and moody scenes, Meg Cowell is constantly developing intriguing bodies of work. This includes 'Sacrum'. Annabelle Collett, curator. 2011.