Claudette Johnson
2023
Pastel, watercolour and gouache on paper
183 x 122cm
This work, made especially for the exhibition, reflects the significance of music within Claudette Johnson’s practice. The figure of a woman swaying to a beat is inspired by a photograph that Johnson came across. Blues Dance is imbued with her own memories of being part of the Blue Beat reggae dance scene in the 1980s, when dances were often held in people’s homes, as well as referring to the great tradition of Blues music. The title also picks up the colour of the woman’s dress, painted with the aim, as Johnson has remarked, ‘to make the blues move in the work.’ The drawing conveys the feeling of a woman being at one with herself, fully absorbed in the music and moving to her own beat.