Lesley Dumbrell
New paintings & works on paper
LESLEY DUMBRELL'S painting has continually progressed over time but her style, - what might have looked like "pop art" some years ago is now more organic in texture and colour while still maintaining the initial geometry that strikes one at first glance.
In her latest exhibition at Annandale Galleries, Dumbrell?'s work exhibits the major influence of her Thai sojourn. The rich tapestry of texture in the fabrics, the smells fragrant in the streets and the ubiquitous colour feast steeped deeply in Bangkok's culture would be impossible for any sensitive artist to resist. The result is that Dumbrell?s work, although remarkably consistent, has softened and become loaded with pure feeling. Her visually tangible ever-present geometric forms exist alongside a powerful intuitive influence making Dumbrell's latest work take on a richer meaning, in the process becoming charged with emotion for the viewer.
Through the use of precision geometric patterns and insightful knowledge of colour, Dumbrell appears to be bending light in these new works. Following the orthodox flow of her design is not necessarily what strikes the eye first, rather the lines seem to break off into different tangents particularly the more the paintings are observed. The expert use of colour facilitates these illusions, and in Dumbrell?s work the experience of qualia, or sensory perception, is profound. One can imagine Dumbrell experiencing her azure hues in the waters of Thailand, while for us the same colour invokes different responses and although we may try to articulate them to each other, we are incapable of providing a complete description of the experience. These many possibilities are the joy of the work.
LESLEY DUMBRELL (born 1941 Melbourne) has been the recipient of numerous awards and honours throughout her career, while she has embarked on various commissions in Australia and abroad. She has shown extensively in solo and group exhibitions throughout Australia and Asia, and has work in all major museums and state collections across the country.
In her latest exhibition at Annandale Galleries, Dumbrell?'s work exhibits the major influence of her Thai sojourn. The rich tapestry of texture in the fabrics, the smells fragrant in the streets and the ubiquitous colour feast steeped deeply in Bangkok's culture would be impossible for any sensitive artist to resist. The result is that Dumbrell?s work, although remarkably consistent, has softened and become loaded with pure feeling. Her visually tangible ever-present geometric forms exist alongside a powerful intuitive influence making Dumbrell's latest work take on a richer meaning, in the process becoming charged with emotion for the viewer.
Through the use of precision geometric patterns and insightful knowledge of colour, Dumbrell appears to be bending light in these new works. Following the orthodox flow of her design is not necessarily what strikes the eye first, rather the lines seem to break off into different tangents particularly the more the paintings are observed. The expert use of colour facilitates these illusions, and in Dumbrell?s work the experience of qualia, or sensory perception, is profound. One can imagine Dumbrell experiencing her azure hues in the waters of Thailand, while for us the same colour invokes different responses and although we may try to articulate them to each other, we are incapable of providing a complete description of the experience. These many possibilities are the joy of the work.
LESLEY DUMBRELL (born 1941 Melbourne) has been the recipient of numerous awards and honours throughout her career, while she has embarked on various commissions in Australia and abroad. She has shown extensively in solo and group exhibitions throughout Australia and Asia, and has work in all major museums and state collections across the country.