Capricci

Around Britain:

Aspects of London and other cities using invented conjunctions of familiar and unfamiliar buildings

Grand Tour:

Images inspired by Italy and other parts of Europe long associated with the 18th century idea of a cultural ‘Grand Tour’

Kaleidoscope:

Images inspired by a kaleidoscope with its infinite potential for interlinking reflections and metamorphoses

Reflections:

Collages recalling convex glass mirrors and intended to suggest an idea of capturing fleeting memories

CAPRICCI:
“In the 18th century, the Venetian artist Canaletto enchanted his patrons with ‘capricci’ (deriving from the Italian for ‘the leaping of a goat’): fanciful scenes of impossible architecture which melded the real with the imagined. He would take well known landmarks and experiment with perspective and form to create vistas of the imagination.
Desmet’s compositions do the same, as she relishes the freedom of not needing to transcribe exact architectural details, and instead creates poetic renderings with an echo of truth.”
– Extract from catalogue essay by Jennifer Scott, Sackler Director of Dulwich Picture Gallery, London, for Desmet’s 2018 solo exhibition at Long & Ryle Gallery, London.