Contrasts, gouacherie

Press, 12 May 1979, Page 26

Contrasts, gouacherie

Julia Morison, Patricia France. “Paintings.” Brooke/Gifford Gallery until May 18. Reviewed by Michael Thomas. Black is the dominant colour in Julia Morison’s paintings which are exhibited in two rooms at the Brooke/Gifford Gallery. Painted in acrylic on jute, the free-hanging “Contrastive Series” makes a handsome array. Each work is totally abstract and explores the aesthetics of black, white and grey. Bold divisions are used to establish strong compositions in which a variety of subtle textures, soft and hard edges and different surface are juxtaposed. The influence of other artists — Hotere, McCahon and Hanly — stands out more than any other character particular to Julia Morison. In the escond room 22 small paintings entitled “Black” by the same artist consist of a black matt background on which shiny black paint has been applied. While, as with the “Constrastive Series,” everything about the objects is tasteful, there is just not enough in them to elevate them from being merely pleasant decoration. The texture of paint, canvas and frame is sensitively combined, but trhe works are successful

only as designs — they do not say anything. Julia Morison has studied graphic design at Wellington Ploytechnic and gained a diploma in fine arts with honours at the University of Canterbury in 1975. She has held two previous exhibitions at the Brooke/Gifford Gallery, and has also exhibited in Wellington where she now lives. All the works in this show have been completed over the last two years. Patricia France, an artist from Dunedin, exhibits 14 small oils of figures in landscape and still-life scenes. The figures, mostly women, have an old fashioned look and

were apparently painted from recollections of the artist’s childhood. Now in her 60s, Patricia France has been painting for about 10 years and these works are the first oils she has exhibited, her earlier works beingpainted in gonache. The paintings have a certain charm, but the monotonous regularity with which the artist paints heads from the same angle, and the unremarkable use of paint and colour, makes them undistinguished for any other reason. The works in both exhibitions are for sale with prices ranging from $6O to $3OO.