Joanne Webber has developed a way to use everyday objects to engage the viewer and instigate fresh visions of the world. Her playful acrylic paintings entice the eye through a vibrant palette and penchant for flowing linework and intricate designs. Her recent works employ marbles in a number of ways, from classic childhood vignettes to divine metaphysical narratives. Webber’s brushwork is nimble and light, expertly capturing the vibrant color streams and smooth, crystalline texture of glass. Other works apply the same focus on craftsmanship to explore wonderful tiki figures surrounded by complex floral patterns. These figures stare back at us with delightfully innocent expressions, encouraging our attention to wander around the beautiful compositions. Webber employs irony and the unexpected in her work. “I like to contemplate life events using inanimate objects as anthropomorphic props,” she explains, “thereby enabling the viewer a new perspective on everyday happenings.”
Joanne Webber’s work has been sold in her native New Zealand, as well as Italy, Hong Kong, Germany, and England. She lives in Christchurch.