Hidden Islands
An Introduction to Thinking About the Islands Along the River Thames,Particularly Between Sunbury and Shepperton

Published April 2015
ISBN 978-1-910578-12-4
A3 fold out map
Author – Tahira Mandarino
Editor – Alban Low
SLB0020

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“ISLANDS are secret, hideaway places. They conjure up exotic pictures of being, Lost then found, of survival and of solitude. On the Thames there are many islands, I have focused on 10 islands from Sunbury to Shepperton. These Islands are all private places. Imagine as you walk along, The river, The sounds and colours, Create your own space away from where you are now. Some Islands, Are natural habitats, with Tall trees, Lush foliage and dense areas To get lost in. Others are small communities, historical, weekend retreats, With laughter, And discovery, Adventure and making plans, Cooking Thinking and Being Some are wide open spaces, To play and explore, to walk the dog To run to after school, meet friends and catch up. They are our escape routes to somewhere new and undiscovered.”
Tahira Mandarino, 2015.

Mandarino’s current practice involves 2D works, on canvas and on paper. Much of the work derives from a preoccupation of the landscape as she relates to it. It is this relationship that then uncovers an inner reality, a woven mass of thoughts and ideas relating to the self, contained in a formless form, formed yes but not solid. Oscillating within the paintings is the need to be accepted and yet, often the scribbles represent an absence of language, a deflection of the self. Her paintings take on a palimpsest quality, the erasing and then reworking of marks over numerous layers. Previous study within ceramics allows a freedom and assurance to apply texture and develop form. Experimenting with her paintings in ways such as’ Arranging by Chance ‘has added a new geometric dimension. The mosaic of colours, tumbling or static can convey movement and stability perhaps even the emergence of architectural beginnings. In response to colour representation within the work, she seeks to explore the relationship colours have with each other and how this relationship is affected through placement and dimension.

To see more of Tahira’s work visit his website at…
http://www.tahiramandarino.co.uk/

This map was first exhibited at the ‘On the map’ exhibition at the Sunbury Embroidery Gallery, Sunbury-on-Thames in 2015.