the divergent view | Brandi Strauss

Response to Veronika Marks’ The Cloud of Unknowing

I’ve been fortunate enough to have known Veronika for well over a decade now, and it’s been wonderful witnessing the process of self discovery and growth within her art and herself. The Cloud of Unknowing is a very moving collection of Mark's work showcasing the disillusionment of our reality perceived by the mind. She acknowledges the complexities of the human brain and our mental health while approaching her work.

I thoroughly enjoy the intimate vulnerability displayed within her video performances. Her emotion and intent within her movement transcend beyond the screen into the unknown. The ominousness and repetitive soundscapes are haunting and hypnotic leaving a sense of fraughtness. They remind me of being trapped in a state of unconsciousness, a deep sleep you can’t seem to wake up from. A nightmare or perhaps even a dream if you're so lucky.

Humans respond to colour combinations differently and while Veronika creates her pieces, the intention of emotion is distinguished. Her choices of colours for the paintings are vibrant and yet the work themselves have a dark and gloomy mood encapsulated. The weight of the two beings holding the other up seems weightless and heavy at the same time. The photographs themselves hold so much complexity and depth which very clearly translate through her paintings.

Veronika acknowledges personal delusions and the uncertainty of ones’ own perspectives, referencing Robert Anton Wilson’s term “chapel perilous” in his novel Cosmic Trigger. I, myself, often question reality based on my own perceptions and how they most likely have a completely different narrative to someone else.