Jezero

2022 - Bled, Slovenia

Jezero is the first work within Hydro Trinity. Jezero, the Slovenian word for lake, refers to Lake Bled in Slovenia.

Relating the solo experience, Annabelle Keyes spent time alone in Bled in the summer of 2022 to create Jezero. Jezero showcases an introspective finding of time spent living next to a lake nestled within the mountains: a profound and prevailing sense of individual wholeness in reaction to consistent perception of monumental landscape. That feeling of acknowledging your own smallness and physical insignificance when presented with the vastness of earth, but prolonged. Acknowledging day after day and coming to terms with that sensation, rather than an isolated and easily forgotten moment.

This piece zeroes in on the beneficial change in perception of land due to solitude; the spiritual and emotional sensations including peace, respect and connection. Creating a symbology for this finding, the artist relates the imagined birds eye view of the lake and church island in the centre into a simplified image, an uneven oval containing a dot or circle. This symbol is depicted in the installation in both drawing and found objects: the pebbles and slice of crystal.

Reflecting characteristics of the site itself, Jezero creates a portrait of Bled, the colour pallete inspired by the whimsical architecture. Whimsicality is integral to the artist's depiction of Bled. Responding to the ancient folklore of Bled, which describes the lake's formation as a result of fairies of the hill (where the church island stands today) retaliating against farmers and their ignorant and harmful agriculture practises, paints a picture of natural forces in conflict with early examples of human selfishness.

Installation view.

Drawing on photograph, three fairytale books, raw canvas and chalk, pebbles, crystal slice, glass vial containing water, graphite sketch on paper.

The sketch on paper shows drawings made in Bled and the mentioned symbol. The two manipulated photos of the church island in the lake show the same view at night and day, with intuitive and responsive mark making. The visual duality is the artist's expression of harmonious balance in spiritual encounters, as explored in many of her oil paintings.