Refractions

Description

In Refractions, Rose Marinelli captures the moment when an everyday ritual begins to take on a different character. Wine is poured into two glasses, but the familiar scene dissolves into a vibrant arrangement of intersecting planes, shifting colours and fragmented forms. Fuchsia, emerald green and warm orange overlap, suggesting the transparency of glass and the movement of liquid as light passes through it.

The work plays with the visual distortions created by glass and the way light bends, colours shift and shapes appear to change. The two wine glasses remain recognisable, yet their outlines seem to break apart and reassemble within the composition, creating a sense of movement and playful instability.

There is also a suggestion of becoming a little merry — that pleasant, slightly altered feeling when a glass of wine loosens the moment and the world seems brighter, softer or less fixed than before. The fractured forms and vivid colours echo this sensation, where perception becomes fluid and the ordinary takes on a more exuberant quality.

Balancing structure with spontaneity, Refractions explores the relationship between what we see and how we experience it. Rather than simply depicting two glasses of wine, Rose transforms the scene into an exploration of light, colour and shifting perception.

The result is a lively, abstract still life that invites viewers to look beyond the familiar objects and enjoy the moment when clarity gives way to colour, movement and a touch of delightful disorientation.