(L+R) SALOME TANUVASA, Untitled, 2019. Acrylic on card, 71 x 60.5cm. Courtesy: the artist and Tim Melville Gallery, Auckland.

Salome Tanuvasa’s most recent work, Autotelic, comprises a series of new paintings in acrylic on card alongside a series of impasto works on both canvas and stretched calico. These separate artistic enquiries are linked by Tanuvasa’s awareness of the ‘flow state’ required in order for her mark-making to be successful.

‘Flow state’ is a psychological term coined to encompass the experience of performing an activity while fully immersed in a feeling of energised focus, full involvement, and enjoyment of the process. It is characterised by complete absorption in the activity resulting in the transformation of one’s sense of time.

Tanuvasa describes her state of flow as “intense and concentrated moments of action and awareness. Feedback and conversation with my chosen materials, actions, colours, marks and compositions are synchronised as I try to form a language of attention. Producing work and fully immersing my mind-state can only occur when the essence of enjoyment and satisfaction is in balance and in tune with the object being made in the time that is at hand.”

Exhibition opens: 6–8pm Tuesday 10 March 2020

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