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In this show, both artists delve into the theme of transformation, drawing inspiration from Ovid's Metamorphoses, a classic Latin narrative poem that presents a world of myths and legends centred around the idea of change or metamorphosis.
In Time is Always New, Baker and Johnson approach Ovid’s themes through distinctive yet interconnected methods, both examining the profound relationship between nature and transformation.
Johnson’s works focus on duality and the surreal fusion of bodies with elements of flora and fauna, creating dreamlike, almost mythical forms. Her pieces explore dichotomies—life and death, light and shadow—within a mystical, slightly dark realm. This sense of wonder, mixed with unsettling distortions of form, evokes the magic of transformation and the uncanny beauty of evolution in nature.
Johnson draws inspiration from Ovid’s myths rather than retelling them, using the theme of metamorphosis as an expedient to explore timeless and enduring dichotomies – sex and death, shadows and light, dark humour. Johnson captures a beautiful darkness, a magical otherworldliness, emanating a sense of wonder and enchantment.
In contrast, Baker’s paintings approach metamorphosis through a temporal perspective, using paint as a medium to explore the cyclical nature of time.
Her works capture the fleeting moments of transformation, extending them to invite viewers into a meditative reflection on impermanence and renewal.
For Baker, painting offers a counterpoint to the fleeting images of contemporary life, allowing her to “stretch out these moments of transformation,” as she puts it, offering a slower, deeper engagement with change.
Together, Baker and Johnson offer a profound meditation on transformation as a fundamental and continuous force shaping the natural and human worlds, inviting us to see metamorphosis not just as myth but as a living, ever-evolving process.
Artist: Megan Baker and Eleanor Johnson
