Artist: Heather Horton - 4me4you

4me4you features - "NAIAD".

ABOUT ME

4me4you had the pleasure of visiting the Pontone Gallery, where artist Heather Horton’s exhibition titled “NAIAD” was showcased.

MY PROCESS

Heather Horton’s exploration of submerged water-worlds and refracted light invites us into an amniotic space where a young woman swims, floats, and glides.

"NAIAD"

As viewers, we share this underwater perspective, experiencing the sensory perceptions of a contemporary naiad—a water nymph familiar from classical tales.

The challenge lies in expressing the intricate reflections and form modifications caused by immersion. Horton approaches this with subtlety, meticulously capturing the optical effects of sunlight through rippling water.

Filigree networks enhance and obscure the suspended figure’s contours, while cool tones evoke sensuality. Her palette, dominated by cerulean blues and aqueous blue-greens, occasionally punctuates with warmer reds and earth tones.

The clothed woman introduces tension. Why swim clothed? The diaphanous dresses hint at mystery and an implied context beyond the water—perhaps something dramatic and cinematic.

Unlike the sea or a river, the setting is a swimming pool, reminiscent of “The Swimmer,” a 1968 film where Burt Lancaster’s character navigates suburban pools and existential crisis. Is Horton’s female protagonist echoing a similar narrative?

Artist: Heather Horton

Gallery: Pontone Gallery