#OtomysRecommends | Caroline Cornelius

December 6, 2024
  • We are delighted to introduce a new blog series, #OtomysRecommends. Where Otomys artists will share their personal recommendations, offering a glimpse into the cultural landscapes and creative environments that shape their lives and work. Each entry is a reflection on the places, experiences, and inspirations that fuel their practice—be it a cherished gallery, a hidden gem, or a recent read. 

    Through #OtomysRecommends, we invite you to step into the world of our artists, discovering their influences and everyday encounters.
     
    Caroline Cornelius invites us to London! Caroline recounts her time spent at the Chelsea Physic Garden, London’s oldest botanical garden, and offers thoughtful insights into recent books, exhibitions and artists that have shaped her own work. From the vivid brushstrokes of Monet and Van Gogh to the thought-provoking immersive installations of Nicola L, these recommendations offer a glimpse into Caroline’s world. 
     
    We hope this series inspires you to explore new places, engage with art in unexpected ways, and discover something wonderful through the eyes of our artists. 
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  • "I have recently been drawing connections between mothers and gardeners as nurturers. I spent much of the Summer working on preliminary drawings for my studio practice at Chelsea Physic Garden. They are London’s oldest botanic gardens, established in 1673, by the worshipful society of Apothecaries of London, it is home to over 4,500 medicinal, edible and useful plants. The gardens themselves are walled and tucked away, small but perfectly formed. I spent a lot of time over the warmer months sitting amongst the flowers drawing the gardeners at work and the changing blooms. "

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  • "More contemporary work was Nicola L’s I Am The Last Woman Object Camden Art Centre which was thought-provoking and playful with a highlight being the ‘pénétrables ’, where you can insert limbs or heads into full size puppets, becoming at one with the artwork, and in some cases with other performers, as one single organism. "

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  • "I have a long journey to my studio from West to East London which provides me with an a great opportunity to read. Generally I read a lot of American literature… ‘Grapes of Wrath’ and Philip Meyer’s books are very pertinent in our current times. David Grossman’s novel ‘More than I Love my Life’ is a multi-generational story about loss and the impact passed down through generations, is one that has stayed with me recently and the brilliant Lucia Berlin’s ‘Manual for Cleaning Women’ is a book of beautifully told short stories, perfect when I have less time.”

  • "One of the primary concerns in my work is colour which has let me to look at a lot of Monet, Matisse and Patrick Heron’s work. I have been reading Andrew Wilson’s book on the British painter Patrick Heron "Early and Late Garden Paintings" and I regularly dip into Jack Flam’s book 'Matisse on Art' which is a collection of letters, interviews and texts given by Matisse. The texts are of varying lengths but full of insightful words that can be applied to most aspects of the studio. 
     
    …and because its coming up to Christmas and cold weather, I am reminded how much I love plaid/tartan and how much I would love to learn to weave.... But that’s for another time!”
  • More from Caroline Cornelius