There is a storytelling tradition in which an empty chair is placed amongst the listeners. When the soul of one of these listeners has a particular need to heed the story, usually for healing purposes, it instinctively comes to the empty chair. The spirit of the storyteller enters the spirit of the listener and together they inhabit, enlarge and retell the story. In this way stories gather into themselves increasing powers of restoration and healing.

Arlene Nedeljkovic’s paintings tell a story of healing. Most of the imagery comes from abstracted representations of trees and forests. This they are, but they are no ordinary trees or forests. Within the growth of the trees there is also the growth of a healing story which Arlene wants to share, as well as a plea for conservation. Forest Lung refers to the idea of the forests as the lungs of the earth. It is also a powerful reminder of the total integration of natural life with human life.

In most of the works the trunks of the trees press together and also press against the edges of the canvas. They give the impression of growing prolifically and energetically far beyond the boundaries of any canvas edge or any picture frame. The overwhelming impressions are of colour and dynamic energy. The colours are riotous - pure, clear, rich and unstoppable. In high key combinations they surge and vibrate through what could be described as a combination of rainbow and Fauvish palettes. Sunset in Karri Forest, for example, is alive with red, raw energy. Other works are more harmonious and poetic.

Colour harmonies for Arlene have always represented the harmonies of the natural world. As a former South African, she also sees colour as an expression of the joy and the vibrancy of tribal culture. In these works colour harmonies spread with thick impasto brush-work like a life force which flows in ‘rivers’ of colour through the forest and beyond. Particularly pleasing examples of this are to be seen in the Dawn Day Dusk series. Here a vast range of colours set up rhythmical movements which ‘beat’ in harmony.

The forest is an ancient symbol for the psyche. This is what gives rise to all those folk tales about enchanted forests. A darkened forest is that aspect of the psyche which is a place of danger and disorientation, even death. It is where the soul can become separated and lost forever. If, however, the soul is rescued (perhaps through a guiding spirit), or it finds its way through the forest, then it emerges into a new, regenerated consciousness – a healing place. Arlene’s journey was of this kind. After surgery for breast cancer she embarked on a long process of healing and recovery. The successful conclusion of this journey was in large part brought about by her love of the forest and her love of art and literature.

The structures in Arlene’s paintings follow the vertical shapes of trees, but these verticals are inscribed with innumerable spiral shapes defined by dark, irregular marks and lines, and by swirls of contrasting colours. The spiral is an ancient and a complex symbol. Since it both expands and contracts within the same space it conveys the ideas of extinction and regeneration at the same time. As a vortex it is the great force of creation, but also threatens destruction. Eternally winding and unwinding it can signify the course of the sun, the revolving of the heavens, the cycle of the seasons and the rotation of the earth. It is associated with the spinning and weaving of the web of life. As a symbol of creation it relates to the feminine principle, representing both to the womb and the breast. For Arlene, the outlines of the spiral scar the trees just as surgery scars the human body. It is, however, a scarring which releases a great deal of psychological energy. The life force eddies towards the centre, but only to flow outwards again.

A tour of the great Art Museums of Europe brought Arlene into a consciousness of the angels from Medieval frescoes. These she introduces into her own work as ‘healing angels’. The spirituality of the angels becomes integrated with the spirituality of nature as expressed through the forest. The angel which appears most frequently in these frescoes is Beatrice, Dante’s guiding light and symbol of Divine Love. Beatrice in the Underworld shows her encircled by darkness, but moving outwards and upwards towards the light. From Darkness into Light shows two angels moving upwards together, and Awakening shows another two angels with arms encircling and supporting each other. In Radiant Light two angels float as if suspended in a dream-like space.

The style in the angel series is softer and gentler than that of the forest paintings. It evokes the ancient wisdom of the old frescoes that inspired them, and even includes areas which appear to be faded and damaged. There are no strongly graphic outlines or vibrating colours. Rather, the objective is to present the ethereal presence of the angels through soft edges and gentle, soothing light. Many of the angels show surgical staples in place of one breast, as a reminder of the tenuousness of human life. The message, however, is one of healing and of hope. These angels show the human spirit in a state of pure transcendence. They are indeed ‘blessed and beautiful’ just as Beatrice was. It is well worth taking the empty chair and listening to their healing story.