Sue Novell – 'Random Walk'

Drawing reference from the mathematical formalisation called ‘Random Walk’, which describes the ceaseless and seemingly pointless movements of minute molecules through a path of uncertainty, Sue Novell begins an exploration of transformation through cause and effect.  Molecules move ambiguously by tracing a straight path until they collide with another, then ricochet off into a random trajectory, only to repeat the same pattern countless times.  Novell adopts this method of movement and flux to create large-scale, highly colourful acrylic paintings. 

By referencing digital photographs as images of seemingly banal events, Novell proceeds on a journey of digital transformations until they are non-representational. Although the nature of the molecules is highly arbitrary, Novell’s work represents conscious and considered manipulations through utilising the same philosophy of reacting to the result of the prior collision repetitively. The decision of how far she reveals the images manifest, happens spontaneously until the final stages of hand painting the pixel-like images onto large format canvasses.  The paintings not only seem to extend their organic origins as molecules, (by taking on visual formations similar to cell and bacteria growth, where these colourful structures continue to ‘grow’ out of their confined frames), but the ‘pixel-like’ images also reflect the nature of computer science and physics in which the ‘Random Walk’ is found.

Courtney Driscoll