THE PRAYER SERIES
Paintings by JILLIAN GREEN
10th March - 4th April, 2004  @  THE CHURCH GALLERY
Reviewed by Judith McGrath

Engaging with good works of art can be akin to a spiritual experience, no matter what the image may be. Green's paintings do indeed evoke a reverential mood, not only via the subject but through the beauty of the work and precision in the making. The artist states how her work "is intended to reflect a meditative and prayerful stillness" and it does. The result is a collection of strong quiet exhibits that is visually, intellectually and spiritually gratifying.

Inspired by the medieval art of illumination, the paintings refer to religious icons such as the cross, sacramental vestments, leaf, vine and floral shapes. Green employs strong colours such as blood red, deep blue, dark green and rich black that are lifted by a complimentary hue or laced with gold. Then there are the works of white on white that hint at embroidered linen, and others where the written word fills the void.

Although the paintings are emblematic of the sacred and suggestive of religious fervour, those not inclined to that mind set will certainly appreciate the artist's sensuous use of paint, energetic twists of vines and fullness of blooms. For example in St Augustine's blue prayer a robe, sumptuously decorated with blue vines, flowers and leaves that emerge from a dark pod, or egg at its hem, rests on a golden yellow ground. Equally spaced horizontal lines run across the image giving a sense of volume to the garment while fixing both figure and field to the same plane. With a change of perspective, the  illusion of a quilted vestment melts into the idea of a flat embellished letter 'T' of some medieval text, one that has been brought into the 21st century.

Green's surfaces are rendered with perfection and equally impressive on both the small and large scale. Of the large works Air, breath, prayer a gentle field of quietude feeds the soul while the smaller work, Bohemian garnet is a rich visual feast of luminous red paisley robe set against a detailed ground of small red, gold and black squares. Then the diptych Six letters, two words, one prayer nourishes the mind as it reminds us to close the mouth and open the ear if we want to hear pearls of wisdom.

This exhibition is a celebration of beauty and balance, one that will be appreciated by all no matter what form their spiritual or artistic preferences take.

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