POLLY GILROY – In between Expanses – 30 July-17 Aug 2024

Polly Gilroy presents a new suite of stretched silk ‘paintings’ which conjure chromatic and spatial harmonies evocative of our environment.
Their appearance forever shifts in changing light.

   

Gilroy takes inspiration from the Support/Surfaces movement that emerged from the South of France during the 1960s and 1970s. Protagonists of that movement stripped painting down to its formal elements and reimagined the place of art within society. In their work, the canvas and stretcher bars frequently became the focus and illusory pictorial space was abandoned. Minimalism was redefined. Influenced by the Support/Surfaces movement’s radical re-imaginings, Polly Gilroy has developed her own ethos. Embracing the point of transition between sculpture and painting, she creates structures which explore the nature of perception, using light as an active player. While materiality is key to her works the result embraces illusion. Within this there is a paradox. These works have an ethereal quality yet speak honestly to their substance and construction. Her hand is invisible. Deceptively minimal compositions push and pull spatial depth. Focus seems beyond grasp. These works are at once subtle yet forthright, unassuming yet sophisticated, they bring shadow and light into the viewing experience. Simple at first glance, these works are best appreciated through slow viewng.

          

After graduating with a BFA (1st class Honours) from Massey University, Wellington in 2017, Polly Gilroy moved to Otautahi Christchurch where she has since presented 4 solo shows and various group shows at PG Gallery192. Gilroy has exhibited across Aotearoa, as well as being internationally represented in Melbourne, Australia. She was a finalist in the Zonta Female Art Awards, Ashburton Art Gallery in 2020, 2021 and 2024.