Passage of Light is the title of watercolourists DORANNE ALDEN’s and PAUL CARUANA’s current exhibition. Joseph Agius sits down with the two artists and curator MARIKA AZZOPARDI to discuss concepts.

JA: Italian artist Francesco Clemente claims: “When I look at a watercolour of a person, it seems to me alive, more open than a photograph.” What makes such a transient medium so conducive to realism?

DA: I have often commented that if you have a beautiful photograph of a place, or a person, why bother to paint it? I would rather have an expressive work that can evoke my inner emotions and connection with nature and people around me. From the very beginning of my artistic career, I have been drawn to use watercolour as my medium of expression.

With an innate wish to be different and original, I have always strived to use it as freely possible in my own way and it has been easier to do so as I am basically self-taught in painting. I connect with its expressive freedom and unpredictability and now, to a certain extent and after so many years of using it as my prime medium of choice, I can anticipate certain effects and so incorporate a little water-based media too.

My Childhood Home by Doranne Alden

Certain effects are only attainable when I use watercolour freely and boldly. I can sometimes imagine the finished work before I actually start, other times it is an adventure of discovery till the end.

PC: For me, watercolour, whether it’s a portrait, figure or anything, has a life of its own. Its transparency, the paper showing through, adds to that life. Furthermore, it is what I leave out, rather how much detail I put in. In leaving out details, I am inviting the viewer to make up the rest of what’s missing. That way, I feel I am involving the viewer to ‘work’ on and with my painting as well.

JA: Do you, Marika, feel that the communication between the two artists goes beyond the medium of choice?

MA: For a joint exhibition to succeed, there must be complete collaboration and clear communication between the two artists on board. They must feel at ease working with each other and showing their works together.

In this case, the artists managed to hone in on two common denominators: watercolour as a medium and the theme of light. So the medium of choice is further complemented by the theme itself and its exploration.

Dearest by Paul Caruana

JA: The choice of title Passage of Light evokes a transfer, maybe a journey through a membrane, or through space itself. Is there also a metaphori­cal dimension to the title?

DA: Well, it certainly goes beyond just expressing light. As light transcends time and place, it is intrinsically connected to our memories and feelings of experiences and times in our life. These could be happy or sad or melancholy or just mundane moments in our lives as we live through them.

The thing is, we all experience the same moment from our different aspects and often will remember the same moment with a different idea of what transpired. The works I have put into this show are a small part of what I feel while painting certain moments in my life – some are pre-COVID, some are during COVID, and then post-COVID.

Both artists have managed to express their own take on ‘light’ in a very individual manner- Marika Azzopardi

PC: Passage of Light, to me personally, means more than just the interpretation of light crawling on a wall, whether it’s daylight or artificial light. Light means everything to me, and even in the dark hours of the night, there’s still light to see – moonlight, artificial light, and so on. It is also my way of looking at life: take life lightly, for even in the darkest moments there’s still a little light with which to see.

The Crab Catcher by Doranne Alden

MA: I think both artists have managed to express their own take on ‘light’ in a very individual manner and have provided artworks that allow the viewer to transfer an own meaning to whatever is being represented in each painting. Most certainly the intended metaphor can also be read into the works and their captions.

JA: Light was the subject matter of the Impressionists and Turner among others. Do you feel any art-historical attachment or does light have other relevance for contemporary artists amid present-day circumstances?

DA: Most definitely I would say that light is more often the unsung hero and subject of any successful painting, even when there is an absence of it. The balance and values of light are ultimately important for the success of any painting. Mastering it is a necessary skill towards the successful expression of your medium and should be understood and mastered first before applying it to your work and also be able to appreciate it as part of a great work of art.

03:07am by Paul Caruana

PC: “Sun is God” is said to have been Turner’s very last words. While I don’t agree with Turner, but yes, light is what makes us see where we’re going. I admire Turner; the Impressionists not that much. Turner saw, felt and finally dissolved his works into pure light.

I feel that when it comes to interpreting light, it’s a lifetime of work. If an artist tries to make light part of their journey, well and good, because they will never run out of subjects.

But when an artist hides his inability to put down light on their paper or canvas and tries to hide his inability with an excuse that abstraction is the thing now, then that artist not only is dishonest about their ability, but is missing out on a beautiful journey. Sadly, there are many artists who believe this.

Presence by Paul Caruana

MA: Light remains the be-all and end-all of all art. Contemporary artists still tamper with light and its nuances, because light has always been an elusive element no matter what side of history one lives in.

Passage of Light, curated by Marika Azzopardi and hosted at the Malta Society of Art, Republic Street, Valletta, is on until November 7. Entrance is free.