Art Seen: April 19

In this week's Art Seen, Laura Elliott looks at exhibitions from Christina Popovici, Judy Millar, Reuben Paterson.

Forest, by Cristina Popovici
Forest, by Cristina Popovici
‘‘Study for Self-Portrait’’, Cristina Popovici (Gallery Thirty Three, Wanaka)

The force and dynamism of abstract artist Cristina Popovici has always been evident in her canvases, which generally explode with colour and texture, acting as a painterly map of the physical and the cerebral. She builds layers of thick paint, blending the matte and the sparkling, bubbling metallic; it splatters and it cascades, with an incredible sense of energy, yet always seems planned and purposeful. Her presence is very much felt in even the most abstracted of her art, but with her new solo show ‘‘Study for Self-Portrait’’, her style takes an unexpected turn. With a more muted palette, the exhibition opens a window on to her personal journey, bringing imagery of her own face and body into each piece, unfiltered and unflinching. The result is one of vulnerability and deep strength: an artist, a woman, who is the sum of all her life experiences, whose body is testament to those stories, but who is still questioning and seeking, unfolding the next chapter.

The ‘‘study’’ of the title could be interpreted as meaning Popovici’s entire life to this point, every moment lived, all the decisions made and lessons learned, the observation of the beautiful and the brutal, culminating in an intense reflection on what it all means and who she is now. With a unique and effective juxtaposition of the abstract and the photographic, the collection is intimate, confrontational, and compelling.

P0014S, by Judy Millar
P0014S, by Judy Millar
‘‘Welcome to the Fluorescence’’, Judy Millar (Nadene Milne Gallery, Arrowtown)

Since childhood, Judy Millar has been fascinated by the metaphysical, the questioning into the great unknown, what lies beyond the reach of human comprehension and experience. She takes that intense curiosity and speculation to her canvases, communicating thought and feeling, perhaps apprehension and awe, through her brush. At first glance, the large-scale expressive works are entirely abstract, but as you stare at the brushstrokes that rise like sinuous coils of smoke from a candle, curling and writhing against a cloudy background, it’s like seeing shapes emerge from the flames of a fire or in the ripple of water or the formation of stars. Each piece becomes so engrossing, and the effect it can have, if your mind is in a place to really fall into it, is difficult to describe in words.The blending of background colour creates an effect almost like looking at the sky, whether overcast or framed by the setting sun, and the bold strokes of dark paint toil in ribbons, creating thick columns and twining branches and feathering veins, turning into and over themselves, giving the illusion of perpetual motion. Its like watching fractal art on a computer screen; you expect to blink and find the whole composition changed, as if you’re looking at one captured moment of something ephemeral and indefinable. The wash of colour spills to the edge of the canvas, as if barely contained by the frame. 

So Let Me, by Reuben Paterson
So Let Me, by Reuben Paterson
‘‘Inherit the Earth’’, Reuben Paterson (Milford Galleries, Queenstown)

The work of Reuben Paterson has to be experienced in person. No photograph could ever do it justice. His iconic glitter paintings come alive under sunlight and studio light, sparkling with an intensity that would put the Crown Jewels to shame. Each piece is like a crystallised tapestry, the botanical patterns intricately worked. They seem to capture qualities of moonlight and the stars of the night sky, as well as the earthly blooms. The detail of the flowers is beautifully and carefully observed. Its a striking collision between the representation of one of the most natural forms of beauty and the glittering medium that suggests more artificial glitz and glamour.

Paterson’s art is a joyful celebration of life, an unabashed revelling in colour. Beneath the surface pizzazz, however, is a depth and thoughtfulness as he explores cultural traditions and situates his work within the constantly unfolding and evolving history of art. The flowers glow against monochromatic backgrounds in a nod to the still life conventions of the European Old Masters, but the works of ‘‘Inherit the Earth’’ are particularly linked to the tivaevae of the Cook Islands, a form of elaborate quilting, often produced communally, and kept and treasured as heirlooms. Paterson spent time in Rarotonga as part of an artist fellowship in 2010, and his love for the island is reflected in his own creative expression.  

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