This Dunedin exhibition showcases some of the local artistic talent incorporating varied styles but all figurative in form. If you didn’t manage to get to the show you can still easily access these artists if not directly via the gallery.
People will always love paintings for their aesthetic pleasure if nothing else. Although usually something a little more cerebral is there when someone chooses a picture to put on their wall.
'Observations' is a fitting name for a recent exhibition at the Artist’s Room. Each of the artists display their unique strengths. There is extreme prettiness in Jan Ingram’s and Rod Eales flower paintings adding compositional interest with their circular and oval shapes. Their titles however, suggest that there may be some personal reference in these images. Tessa Barringer’s birds are beautifully caught in motion and Catherine Garrett’s Otago Harbour scenes may remind you of Robin White in style but nonetheless are uniquely Catherine's works with a defined colouring and dimensionality.
For me it is Emma Milburn’s work that stands out. These are set in the Borland Pass area based on a trip she made there earlier this year. For these paintings she used oil and gold leaf. Three of the works are on specially prepared paper and the others on Belgium linen prepared in a traditional technique using rabbit skin glue - the result being very textual. Her works are lyrical with repeated motifs of small squares and fine markings over sepia like tones with striking red accents. She has captured the essence of this wondrous part of New Zealand with added elements that invite contemplation. These works show a maturation of her style which she is fully in control of.