In these artworks by artist Valerie Hegarty, it looks like the walls have exploded with an array of fruits, foliage, and decay. At first glance, one might think they are viewing art that has been destroyed. However, Hegarty is well-known for her explosive work that reaches out, beyond a flat area and into three-dimensional space.
To produce each piece, Hegarty uses a variety of materials including canvas, acrylic paint, paper, glue, foil, foam, wire, artificial foliage and flowers, sand, and thread. Appearing aged and worn, her paintings and installations are filled with a mysterious intrigue that produce eerie feelings of history and the past.
These two pieces in particular, entitled Woman in White and Flower Frenzy, feature frames that seem to be falling apart, overrun with growth that extends in various directions. Extending beyond the canvas, the decomposing walls become a part of the piece, blending traditional painting styles with a more rough form of installation art.
