Karen Black
Made of Stone, 2018
QLD, AUSTRALIA
oil on WOOD
134 X 116cm
Karen Black’s Made of Stone is a quiet study of weight, texture and time. Painted in oil on wood, its muted greys and ochres echo the surface of weathered stone - solid yet softened by light.
Broad, sculptural strokes evoke geological strata, while the natural grain beneath anchors the work in the earth. It feels both grounded and contemplative, like granite warmed by sun or an old wall shaped by years.
Black’s restrained palette and textured hand lend the piece an elemental stillness, resonating with Mona Farm’s dialogue between art, architecture and landscape - where contemporary works sit comfortably among stone, timber and open sky.
Karen Black
Woman with Moustache, 2017
QLD, AUSTRALIA
oil on WOOD
46 x 60 cm
Karen Black’s Woman with Moustache (Line Up) is a playful yet disarming portrait that blurs the line between the familiar and the absurd. Painted in oil on wood, its textured surface and gestural brushwork infuse the figure with immediacy and warmth, while the unconventional moustache disrupts expectations of femininity and identity.
The work balances humour and poignancy: the lightness of its title contrasts with the expressive, almost tender rendering of the subject. Black’s use of muted tones and rough-hewn strokes creates a raw, intimate atmosphere - one that invites us to reconsider how identity is performed, perceived, and subverted.
At once bold and enigmatic, the painting reflects Black’s ongoing fascination with human narratives, capturing the idiosyncrasies and imperfections that make her figures feel alive and deeply present.