CSA Gallery exhibitions

Press, 5 August 1981, Page 11

CSA Gallery exhibitions

Current exhibitions at the CSA .Gallery, Reviewed by David Brokenshire.

“The Girl Can’t Help It.” Paintings by Rudolf. Boelee until August 9.

This is a lage exhibition in size, scale and impact. It completely fills the Mair Gallery with an almost kaleidoscopic effect.

Usually paintings are widely spaced on gallery walls so that optically they do not interfere with each other. In this show exactly the opposite effect seems to have been aimed at and achieved.

. Individually there is much of interest on display. The use of a painted grid sometimes above, sometimes below the subject contributes most to the vitality of the major works. Over all this exhibition created for me a nostalgic recall of my student days in the 19405. Mondrian, Theo Van Ddesburg. The harsh colours in pink and green, the buxom female image and even the juke box blasting out in the gallery all contribute to this effect.

Paintings and Objects by Helen Darby until August 9. Helen Darby has been much influenced by Australian Aboriginal work, and while this has given a cohesion to this show in my view none of the paintings or objects approach the impact of the Aboriginal originals. The Australian grave figures in particular have a frightening violence. Although the works are of some interest I feel the influ-’ ence has not been fully assimilated.

“The memory of the circus.” Paintings by Michael Ebel until August 16. Over the last few years Michael Ebel’s exquisite pencil drawings have given much pleasure. The work in this exhibition shows the same sensitivity but combined with fine painterly surfaces, soft colours and a precise design sense. Visual elements of the circus are recalled, striped awnings, animals, the big top, the cages, the lion trainer but these elements are combined into a collection of sensitive charming works which bring a warm response from the viewer.