Carolyn Parton

Carolyn Parton is primarily a sculptural painter, innovatively extending the medium through her exploration of paint as physical matter; embedded with memory.

Her research article ‘Extended Traces: Tracking the impact of painter upon environment’ was published in 2010.

Collecting spent paint, from local housepainters to acclaimed international artists, she develops methods to reclaim this paint, incorporating it as a remnant of environment and history. Like an archeologist Parton’s explores crucial moments of human evolution to understand who we are in the present. Her sculpted paint installations, become the archive.

Her most recent project is influenced by the current debate around decolonisation. Exploring this moment has led to her taking apart the works from books that were a part of her art studies – cutting, and re-arranging them; an ongoing process of re-thinking her sociocultural/environmental context.

Carolyn Parton was born in Cape Town where she lives and works.