Lontano (Italian for "from afar"), a recent body of work that was exhibited at Newzones Gallery of Contemporary Art - closing January, 2021. The paintings were inspired by a teaching term in Florence, Italy and were further shaped by my return to Canada just as the pandemic was ushering in a new way of life.
In Florence, Venice, Modena and Rome, Kubis' recollections of ever-changing atmospheric light seep into her surfaces and heighten her brushwork and colour choices. Anda’s slow process of observation and decision-making guide her signature bands and blooms of colour. They are infused as much by Renaissance palettes as they are from the contemporary hues of Gucci and Ferragamo. The sweeping full-bodied brushstrokes, the precision and energy required to make each stripe, each layer of each bloom, now feels like a declaration of presence for her. Yet when seen from afar, the paintings coalesce as brilliant images. They imply photographic or digital production. This play between old and new, real and virtual, are dualities that have been made richer still as a result of her time spent abroad. Her experience of repeated viewings of Giotto paintings and other early Renaissance artwork and architecture has forced Kubis to rethink the effects of pigments, surfaces and illusion in painting. Reminiscences of another time are embodied in each painting where they reward the viewer for prolonged contemplation. Vivid yet distant memories remain.
