The artist’s recent transition from town to country Victoria, is reflected in works such as “Country Studio” (above). Elkie, the pet dog and ever-present ‘muse’ portrayed in the old cottage, Dayle’s full-time studio.
In this painting we revel in the whimsical interior composition, delicately textured, sun-bronzed surfaces exposed by the Autumn country daylight. Cheerful delight in her daily art practice is evident in the personal subject matter, especially the detail afforded to the ethereal bush setting glimpsed through the french door to the left of the artist’s work in progress painting, a subtle reminder of a solitary, yet rewarding life of an artist.
Bolton’s splendidly costumed circus characters are juxtaposed against minimalist backdrops. The viewer is immersed in a poignant and sensory experience, such as a tender moment between a circus dog and a performer, which is captured with gothic references to a bygone era. Complexities of the human condition are satirically captured, hinting at darker themes of alienation and failure. Via Bolton’s classical settings, the solitary moment of a performer behind the curtain stage, or a juggler in full flight, on a wind-swept beach is captured with nostalgic revery.
After graduating from RMIT in 1972 and winning The Myer Award for Illustration, Dayle Bolton worked as a freelance illustrator for major national and International retailers and magazines. Notably in London in the 1970’s her illustrations in Vogue featured as full-page advertisements in the press, many of which were later sold as limited edition prints. Back in Australia the artist was selected as a finalist in the Alice Bale Portraiture Prize in 1992. Bolton’s work embodies the maturity of her experience in alternate design fields. The theatrically composed works transport us on a journey to explore the profane, and to witness a mythology that is, at once, familiar and strange. Probing and haunting, the carnival of characters tempts the viewer to peep into a voyeuristic world.
