When we first approach Roz Avent's work we see human-like figures, creatures that are part human and part animals which seem to be playing human roles. All these creatures are set in the midst of a physical dialogue. We are not aware of what has happened before or what is to happen next, but it is apparent that we are in the middle of an encounter that is ongoing and may be fraught with danger.

The bright colours that Roz uses recollect our childhood picture books, but this is a trick. The creatures within the work are not so benign as those in our childhood stories and the bright colour instead of being joyful brings a heightened sense of urgency and friction to the work. This feeling of tension and oddness is increased by Roz's use of black lines to clearly contain each object in the picture, so that they become isolated both physically and psychologically.

Perhaps there could be seen a connection between Roz's creatures and the monster in the tales by the Grimm Brothers. But Roz's stories, (if that is what these works contain, we are not sure), are not so obviously nasty as the gruesome Grimms' fairy tales. Instead there is an uncertainty about the status of the figures who are involved in some unknown but not haphazard occurrence. We sometimes perceive a figure with which we have sympathy only to discover that they are not what they seem. These works disturb our confidence in our perception of reality. They ask questions about what really is happening and they show aspects of life that we suspect are not meant for public viewing.

Roz's work could be about the unconscious; but is could also be about a questioning of what is 'real' and it could be about our memories of the past. When we look at Roz's work, it seems so familiar; its subject matter is something we feel sure that we have seen somewhere. But we are unable to recollect where we have seen it or what it means. It is as though we get a glimpse of a reality that is very very important - a secret understanding of a different existence is there, just beyond the canvas, but we can't quite reach it.

 

Liz Caffin, 2002

back to top

Roz Avent's paintings are surprising and seductive. The bright colours are inviting, comforting, in the way that a children's book is inviting and comforting and certainly the imagery reminds one of the fairground or circus. The colour then grabs the attention and invites you into a sometimes sinister and provocative world. A psychological world that asks questions about the nature and expression of female sexuality and the dangers of stepping outside of the gender rôle stereotype.

A naked woman dances with a fully clothed man in a costume resembling nineteenth century battle dress.

A woman reveals a leg and at the same time shrinks from the man who is kissing her hand.

A mother protects her child whilst a man with a head like a metallic skull looks over her shoulder.

There is the threat of hidden danger or, that not all is quite what it seems, which is all the more powerful when set in the context of childhood paraphernalia. The paintings are rich in colour and content and are often playful, there are echoes or suggestions of a bygone era which evokes memory and carries the viewer back into their own childhood imaginings. There is often much happening within the one painting and the background narrative is as rich as the foreground. These paintings work because of the contrast between the form and the content, they are thought provoking and even sometimes disturbing.

I'm looking forward to seeing how this work develops in the future!

Natasha Mullings, 2003