The Places We've Been

This large abstract painting responds to Ronald Pope’s artistic legacy through themes of place, memory, identity and human connection. Isabella Blue’s practice often explores identity and the ways personal experiences, environments and perceptions shape how we understand ourselves and others. This work extends these ideas through Pope’s relationship with the places in which he lived and worked, considering how a sense of identity can become connected to landscape and place.

Through layers of acrylic paint, line work and shapes derived from historical territorial and ordnance maps of the local areas Pope lived and worked, the composition brings together two perspectives. Straight-on views of fragmented shapes reference the human form, whilst abstract landscape shapes and map lines suggest an aerial perspective. The layering reveals and conceals imagery, reflecting how identity, memory and history are shaped by what is seen and hidden, while also paying homage to Pope’s works that have been lost or forgotten over time.

The colour palette further connects Pope’s practice with the landscape, using greens and blues to evoke nature and landscape, pinks to reference the human form, and earthy browns and reds drawn from his sculptures. Together, these elements create a contemporary reflection of Pope’s legacy and explore the ever-evolving relationship between people and place.