Critique by Timothy Warrington,
International Confederation of Art Critiques, London, UK
The Critique
In each individual artwork, a multitude of vivid clashing colours and alluring depictions of texture simultaneously contradict and conform, whilst appearing to pulsate and breathe on the canvas. Observing the creations by Lydia Panart, the complexity of these works is astonishing as they provoke an overwhelming emotional impact from the enthralled viewer.
Panart’s thought-provoking compositions, that inspire us to delve deeper into our subconscious, are redolent of the Great Masters of Colour, such as Cézanne who once stated that colour is “’the place where our brain and the universe meet’. From the intense contrasts in Pierre Bonnard’s landscapes to Hans Hofmann’s modern gems, Panart recalls and harmonises Post-Impressionist tendencies, based on fierce hues induced by sunlight, with Avant-Garde theories related to the American Colour Field movement and its atmospheric immersive quality.
Panart electrifies each colour area with dynamic, energetic and vivid brushwork composed of complementary shades, creating dominant fields of flat surfaces suddenly fractured by distinct drops of colour sporadically spread across the canvas. Philosophically speaking, this Canadian artist emphasises the meditative, intellectual and meaningful result of her compositions, focusing on a conceptual implication, albeit exquisitely emotional.
Overall, Panart’s artworks show an impressive consistency of form and balance, united in a visual rhythm that unravels before us: the spectator is enchanted by a superb alternation between solids and voids, silence and noise, stillness and action. Authentic and ethereal hues become central characters in the complex plot that is endlessly transpiring on the canvas, thus revealing boundless capacity for interpretation.
Panart’s creations do not solely embody pigments, although the interactions between colour remain integral in her reduced formats. Sensual and deeply expressive conceptions challenge one’s perceptions by unfolding into complex structures, and evolving into a sublime mosaic of polychromatic textures. So forth, Panart’s paintings reveal the innermost essence of an introspective personality, in a space where the viewer can connect with something personal, and perhaps mythic, which exceeds the limitations of imagery and colour.
Dense areas of unbroken surface on the flat picture plane contain a myriad of gestural articulations, composite dots and fervent hues that illuminate the surrounding shades and tones.
The observer becomes an active part in the recognition of the infinite possible interpretations hidden in Panart’s immersive and fluid contours that permit a wonderful inception of pure emotions.
About Timothy Warrington
Timothy Warrington was born in Birmingham in 1944 and is a critical writer and curator based in London.
Warrington has curated numerous books and writes opinions and exhibition critiques in the UK and the USA. Notably, he was responsible for the main publication related to Brian Willsher’s Bronzes, an artist who taught at the Tate and was praised by Sir Henry Moore as an artistic genius.