Beltane

GL Brierley (b. 1964)
In GL Brierley’s pictorial stages, we often
witness simultaneously seductive and
grotesque themes tilting over and collapsing
into a sort of pantomime-like comedy.
In addition to their representational
quality, paint remains paint as material
oscillating between a form of abstraction
and figuration. Brierley symbolically plays
with the term ‘base-matter’ as a word rooted
in the term ‘mater’, which also means
‘mother’ in Latin and Greek, gracefully
fusing two concepts: object and desire. Her
exquisite oil paintings feature individual
subjects, often appearing engaged in
dialogue, positioned alongside fragments
that perhaps resemble still life. The paint
appears corporeal, organic and almost
living, congealing as a result of technical
alchemy, casting ambiguous folds in a
unique materiality which simultaneously
demonstrates a virtuosic use of light and
shade. All pictorial elements are given the
same ornamental treatment, which means
that the viewer’s gaze freely roams across
the entire image: filigree inlays in sharp
angular shapes are applied, simulating a
floor covering that may appear abruptly
foreshortened. Broad brushstrokes rich
in contrast generate a figurative element,
perhaps punctuated with parasitic colour
sequences that freely resembles an
imaginary covering or garment. In sharp
contrast, thick applications of colour dot
the surface here and there in an almost
violent act of embellishment. Brierley’s
paintings serve as a stage for diverse
forms of reconciliation and transformation
between the male and female, mind and
material, body and object.
GL Brierley is a British artist based in
London. GL Brierley. She completed her
Masters in visual arts at the College of Art
in London and graduated with an M.F.A.
from Goldsmith College, London. Her
works have been presented in numerous
exhibition internationally. And are placed in
renowned cas numerous private collections.
Untitled
oil on panel, 90 x 80 cm
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