British artist Claire Luxton has taken residency at FRAMELESS London, in a new show that invites visitors to consider what happens on the precipice of sleep. The captivating new artwork explores surrealism through a contemporary lens, and sits alongside FRAMELESS’ existing gallery Beyond Reality, which houses immersive reimagined artworks by Odilon Redon, Salvador Dalí, Hieronymous Bosch, Max Ernst and many more.
Claire Luxton’s latest piece, Right Before We Wake, sponsored by Adobe, explores the surreal, in-between moments that occur just before we awaken. The show invites viewers to contemplate the magic of dreams and the restorative power of sleep. In the UK, 37% of adults experience insomnia, with YouGov reports showing one in eight have fewer than six hours of sleep per night, with just 25% getting eight hours or more.
In Right Before We Wake, the landscape is bathed in blue, green and purple colours that evoke tranquillity, growth and introspection. Blue, known to evoke deep relaxation, has graced the works of artists like Yves Klein, whose Blue Monochrome captures the meditative power of the colour. Green, symbolising balance and spiritual renewal, can be traced back to the Renaissance, which was often used to represent growth and healing. Purple, connected to introspection, ties into sleep’s creative and restorative qualities, offering a space for emotional clarity.
Luxton weaves historical references throughout her work, drawing from ancient philosophers like Hippocrates and Aristotle, who speculated on the significance of dreams for the soul, and also from the Symbolist movement, which expressed psychological and spiritual realities through dreamlike landscapes. These influences allude to the deep connection between the unconscious mind and the restorative power of rest, underscoring the importance of switching off and resetting as a new day dawns.
The new show is part of FRAMELESS’s residency programme. Since 2023, it has offered a platform to emerging digital artists from the diverse and vibrant art community, showcased in its fifth Blank Canvas gallery.
Claire Luxton said, “In this ever-shifting, relentless world, where time often slips through our fingers, understanding the profound impact of sleep and dreams has become essential. They are not mere pauses in our waking lives, but vital moments of healing and self-discovery. My work invites the viewer to explore the deep connection between rest and renewal, drawing on timeless symbols like the Sleeping Venus and botanicals like anemones to evoke a space for introspection and emotional protection.”
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