The Malta Independent on Sunday
The sea just got smaller
Marika Azzopardi Following Alexia Coppini’s artistic development over the years, I have become accustomed to perceiving different facets of her personality through her works. Being a lover of the sea myself, I have always looked closely at the way she has refined her skill at capturing seawater in all its diverse facets, calm or stormy, often in the most fascinating and skilful manner.
This time round, walls come into the picture and I am somewhat mesmerised by this new inclusion in what had been, up to now, typically uniquely seascapes and sky. The sea is viewed from a perspective by the artist and hence the viewer, who are inside looking out. We can see the sea beyond the edges, beyond the walls, be they corners of a room, the far open end of a room, an open window, a frame. Coppini has created this 18th solo to celebrate her decade of art exhibitions, with 20 works of varied sizes, most of which are about walled-in sea.
Strictly executed with good old fashioned oils, these paintings will be a challenge to those who were used to her more expansive seascapes. I hover around the gallery, taking in the detailed sea waves on a small painting entitled, At first sight which surprisingly includes a minuscule lighthouse. Another small lighthouse beckons within Harbour front. Man-made constructions are another novelty here.
And then I absorb myself in front of Lady Aqua, which showcases Coppini at her best. The rolling waves, the sea spray, the sombre light and the sensation of cold wine, all come together in a composition that is nothing short of spectacular. Keep in mind that this artist works with oils, a medium that has not retained its charm with many local artists. But those who utilise it know its hidden benefits as Alexia herself explains, “Oil is my preferred medium by far. Having spent the best part of 10 years mastering the technique, I have grown to love the time it allows me to paint my scenes, sometimes in greater detail than others. The fact that oils take their time to dry, gives me the freedom to blend, often using hundreds if not thousands of brush strokes to achieve the sheen required, as well as obliterate any notion of lines created by my trusted brushes!”
Love on the rocks adds a dash of concentrated bright blue, while almost all of these exhibited works are of a darker palette, seemingly depicting brewing storms and moodiness. One landscape stands out depicting Amalfi road with its ghostly line of trees and road − is it twilight or dusk? Another spot of colour comes through Open mind where a splash of brilliant pink sky stands out valiantly. And yet, I myself, am still drawn in to those marvellous large open swathes of churning rolling sea. And although I do stop to poke my nose in one of her smaller works detailing those clashing waves in Room with a view, I am still drawn to Lady Aqua and Classic. I can just hear the thunder roll.
‘The Four Walls’ Exhibition by Alexia Coppini will be inaugurated today, 10 September at 8pm. Thereafter, viewing by appointment. Alexia Coppini Fine Art Gallery, 80 Sir Arturo Mercieca Street, Sliema. Email: alexiacoppini@gmail.com