Tatham Art Gallery

Still-life with sunset

1987 - acrylic on board

Bronwen Findlay (b. 1953)

by Shirley J Gault

Amidst the sombre times in which we live this painting uplifts my spirits as if of 'paradise regained'.

A blue river bisects two landscapes, one wild and one domestic (a garden perhaps). Midcentre in the background is a haphazard but startling red setting sun..........of such profundity and intensity that it assures me that it will rise again next day, that a new day will begin.........the essence of hope in darkness to be told this by this sun. The painter selects giraffes to inhabit her wildscape - vividly coloured are the three in the foreground - one of which has no ears and lives in harmony with a purple mountain. In the background a gaggle of giraffe are silhouetted black against the nodding asleep sun. The far seeing searching abilities of these long legged animals come to mind.

A curious eight-legged animal paddles upstream whilst an equally indecipherable spotted creation draws one's attention to the nearside bank and the domesticated garden awash with luxuriant plants and flowers which tumble onto the frame with excitement and, my guess, laughter. In mid garden a large duck, her heart shaped body decorated with look-alike 'smarties', has centre stage - a kind of Beatrix Potter Jemima Puddleduck - comfortable and homely and goodies-laden.

It pleases me that this scenario for the moment anyway has exeunted ? any notion of homo sapiens. I rejoice too that here is a triumph of resurrection for the elements, abiotics ?, plants and animals. This especially because I read in today's Witness that the two-legged louts shrieking for the blood of the baby molesters and rapists are declaring that the former are 'Animals'.

Let them too discover the spirit in NATURE and the spirit of PLAY which are so healing and abundant in this work.

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