EN ROUTE: GOLDA KING’S JOURNEYS
Getting lost is a good way to find one’s self because darkness is needed for one to find the light. However, the journey is not easy and finding one’s path can take quite some time. Golda King is a painter who knows just how hard this journey is, having hit a few bumps on the road. She shows the reflections of her wandering through the images of children in her series En Route which was exhibited in Qube Gallery until March 11.
“I’m really drawn to children in general because for me they symbolize and represent time. Time for me is very important. Children remind me of the time of innocence. Children get the kind of freedom that you don’t get these days anymore; freedom of emotion,” said Golda.
Her works show neoimpressionist techniques which have evolved with neo-expressionism as her background. “Intrinsically and intuitively I am expressionist but for me capturing light and pushing contrast is important in my work. I think impressionism wasn’t a forethought for me, it’s just the way I know how to paint; the way I’m comfortable capturing light and pushing the contrasts by using the dots and the dabs which I think is impressionistic in style but it wasn’t intentional. It was just trial and error until I figured out what works for me. But you know, if I didn’t have to think about reinforcing light or pushing contrast, it would be more like expressionistic in style, so I guess it’s really a mix of impressionism and expressionism,” said Golda.
The artist further explained that some of the paintings are impressions of photos she took while in transit throughout Cebu. As she passed by these children they reminded her of familiar emotions, like disap- pointment, acceptance, hope and hopelessness which are the subtle elements of her paintings.
As she described her paintings, the painter admitted that the portraits depict pieces of herself.
“Most of these figures are kind of solitary. It looks lonely but at the same time it looks hopeful. I guess in a way most of these paintings are like self- portraits, because I spent almost six years in San Francisco and then I came back and then I went through a slump so I felt really lonely and really down. I didn’t know where I was going. At that time maybe, I felt like a lost child in some way,” said Golda.
Despite having blossomed in the past years with the path she has chosen to take, she continues to see herself still in transit toward becoming an artist. She refuses the title “artist” as for her she has not yet reached such kind of pinnacle as she is still en route.
“I feel like I’m not there yet. Yes, I’m a painter but I feel like I haven’t collected enough stories to tell. Maybe in the next 10 years I’ll be more comfortable referring to myself as an artist. Sooner or later I’ll get there,” said Golda.
Golda King studied art in San Francisco. She uses watercolor as her main material.