A significant part of Courtney McClelland’s practice is grounded in the materiality of the paint. Her paintings begin intuitively, using stains as the first layers. She finds impressions of bodies in the marks they leave. She builds the surface using a combination of thick textural marks and soft glazes, positioning the bodies in undefined, crumbling landscapes.

As she develops her works she seeks out stories in the bodies and how they hold on to each other. Courtney is drawn to imagery that looks like bodies in brawls, conversations, moments of intimacy and celebration. The scenes in these works sit on the cusp of recognisability, with the figures breathing in and out of focus. She is interested in communicating the sensations of living in bodies. Translating how we relate to each other, in ways that are intimate, psychological, spiritual or chaotic.