Louise Blyton
Ung Drill
14.03.18 – 31.03.18 

Nature is Louise’s ultimate source of inspiration. Whether rambling as a child along the shoreline of the then quiet seaside suburb of Mornington or enjoying solitary walks along the Darebin Creek near Alphington today, Louise has been always struck by an observation that in nature beauty exists for itself. Are the budding flowers no less alluring, or are the shimmering reflections in the bubbling brook no less enticing, when there are no humans to contemplate them? Louise strives to convey in her artworks the experience of beauty in nature. When the gallery closes and the lights are off, are the exhibits no less aesthetically sound if there is no one to appreciate them?

Throughout her creative journey, Louise has been always inspired by the infinite possibilities offered by textural minimalism. But it is within the realm of Reductivism that the artist has attained the ultimate expression for her visual vocabulary. Materials and forms are reduced; image and medium work together to deliver the message in harmony and unison. The genesis of each individual artwork is intuitive and emotive. The compositional clarity and the unity of form and colour are visualised and then brought to life through a process that is methodical, laborious, and time-consuming. To paraphrase Louise, when the works leave the confines of her studio, unexpected ‘magic’ occurs: the pieces acquire a life of their own. Changing sources of artificial light and the daily progression of sunrays across painted surfaces reveal shifting hues and textural complexities of the intensely saturated passages of colour. The light also alters the spatial conceptualisation of the pieces, playing with shadows, altering silhouettes, and transforming their geometrical structures. The ‘magic’ would continue when Louise’s paintings and sculptures leave the gallery for unknown destinations. New settings would impose alternative lighting conditions. A fresh dialogue would be created between the pieces and their new surroundings. Each subsequent encounter would reflect the rhythm of nature by revealing unexpected nuances in pigment structures, surface textures, and shifting silhouettes. The metaphysical presence of the artist would remain palpable as the dedication, passion, and love invested in crafting each piece would ensure that an aesthetic dialogue between her works and their changing environment ensues indefinitely.

Dr Eugene Barilo von Reisberg

Dr Eugene Barilo von Reisberg is a Melbourne-based scholar and art adviser, who shares his passion for art, history, and culture from the nineteenth century to the present day through regular lectures and publications.