Gillian Lever
New Paintings
27 November - 21 December 2001
LONDON Front Room

            

        







Gillian Lever is inspired by the early sacred art of illuminated manuscripts and by Russian icons. Her small scale abstract paintings hold much of the sense of preciousness, of something hallowed, that one admires in the work of these earlier traditions. They are quiet, contemplative images which are deceptively complex in their execution. Richly coloured, these small paintings on paper or wood panel are highly organised, fused with an inner light that suggests hidden spaces. Visits to cathedrals and their crypts have played a key part in the development of her work. "I hope to explore the place where spiritual and psychological worlds meet and fuse. I often think about gateways and grilles, passing from the known to the unknown."

Lever lives and works in Birmingham. She has exhibited in Birmingham, Malvern, and the cathedrals of Lichfield, Worcester and Winchester. This is her third show with Art First. Her work can be found in Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery, and numerous private collections.