Falls the Shadow: Natasha Kissel and Gina Soden at Eleven Gallery

Eleven Gallery in Belgravia presents a beautiful symbiosis of paintings and photographs in its current exhibition, Falls the Shadow. The display includes works from both painter Natasha Kissel and photographer Gina Soden. The artists are brought together by common themes of the passing of time and the evanescence of architecture, which can be found in their works.

The white walls of the Eleven Gallery are illuminated by the colourful, vibrant pieces on show this spring; nature, wild animals, graffiti and old buildings feature as the subjects of the vivid works of art. First, Kissel’s beautiful oil paintings explore the distance between the desire for perfection and a utopian existence. Images of architectural splendour surrounded by untamed nature, overgrown weeds taking over an old car: these create a strong contrast where Kissel’s art speaks the loudest. This contrast is most prominent in Falls the Shadow, depicting an idyllic, modernist dwelling nestled in a clearing, where a debased wall serves as the vestige of another building which has been ravaged by time. Examining the human desire to leave a mark on this world, Kissel shows that “bricks and mortar are subject to the elements,” and will ultimately fall away.

Soden’s photographs capture abandoned palaces from across Europe, reflecting different architectural styles and echoing the influential political, social, cultural and religious developments of the last two centuries. Set next to the oil paintings, those photographs feel like a natural continuation to Kissel’s work. The architectural splendour is examined even further and in greater detail, as the viewers are given a look inside these magnificent old buildings. For instance, in Cloister and Wooden Chapel, the dramatic effect that time has had on even the most solid of structures is shown, reflecting strongly on fragility and impermanence in the grand scale.

Fall the Shadow is an interesting exhibition that combines the works of two very talented artists, putting into perspective the true merit of architectural grandeur.

Lyubomira Kirilova

Fall the Shadow: Natasha Kissel and Gina Soden is at Eleven Gallery from 20^th March until 1^st May 2015, for further information visit here.