Garrison

Rendered in loose, florid strokes of oil, Garrison (2013) is a vibrant example of Caroline Walker’s early practice. Painted in the Tuscan countryside, just outside of Florence, the work captures an idyllic courtyard, its pristine verdant lawns patterned with dappled sunlight, and neat paths lined with terracotta pots. Discreetly positioned beneath the shade of three enormous trees is a lone, female subject. She stands peacefully, holding a small tray and paused in her tracks. The painting is a testament to Walker’s enduring obsession with the capturing the seemingly banal and quotidian activities of women. Here, she masterfully conjures a vivid sense of apprehension in the scene. Observed from an oblique vantage point, the anonymous woman seems to be glimpsed fleetingly from afar. Hiding from the glare of the high, midday sun, she seems absorbed, her thoughts cast to another place. The painting’s title sheds its own light on the atmospheric quality that has come to define the artist’s practice in the last decade. Denoting a sort of military base—a town or building or fortress—where troops are stationed to guard and defend, Garrison brings to mind a sense of enclosed sanctuary.