Venice Biennale 2024

'Foreigners Everywhere'

Rafaele Appleby, It all depends on your point of view, Oil on canvas

There are three parts to this painting.

1. Our view of the world looks outwards from ourselves. Our vision, thoughts and actions flow out from our own personal central point. These ripples become more interesting as they touch and mingle with others in harmonious, contrasting and a hundred other ways. It all depends on your point of view — where your own ripples begin.

2. What if our point of view rose above and — quite literally — we saw things from a bird's eye view? I chose to include 2 swallows, looking down on our ripples, partly as a nod to Willow pattern china, but mostly because swallows travel to so many places. Where I live they are greeted with joy, a sign that summer is here. I have cut a small swallow–sized hole in the door to my garden shed (where they like to nest) and written 'Welcome home swallows'. This is their home, at least for part of the year. I wonder if other places feel equally joyful when the swallows arrive? Are the swallows 'at home' wherever they are, or are they foreigners everywhere?

3. The last part of the painting took me by surprise, pretty close to finishing it. In 1951 my grandmother was invited to exhibit a painting in the Festival of Britain. She painted a large picture called 'Fowls that fly in the firmament', but was persuaded by her husband (also exhibiting in the same Festival) that it wasn't good enough and should be destroyed.

So, in a way, her birds have flown into my picture on behalf of all the women who have been persuaded that what they create is no good. The swallows are singing, 'We are off to Venice, whatever you may say!'

Art is not a competition and I am delighted that both my husband and my daughter are taking part in this 2024 Biennale too.