Through The Grid: Lucienne O'Mara
Lucienne O'Mara's works stand as powerful entities, not just abstract expressions, but tangible reflections of the artist's journey through the grid - a journey that is as personal as it is a re-evaluation of the female voice in contemporary takes on Modern Art.
In celebration of International Women's Month, GJG presents a solo show by Lucienne O'Mara, a contemporary female artist boldly navigating the realm of Modernist aesthetics and theories. The artist challenges the historical narrative that has predominantly attributed Modern Abstract art to male painters. In the context of Contemporary Art, O'Mara's work becomes a poignant re-evaluation of Abstraction, and sheds light on the long-awaited rise and recognition of women artists.
O'Mara's paintings unravel the linear structures of the grid, embracing the limitless potential of this compositional method, while seamlessly weaving freehand geometry, colour, and brushwork. O'Mara's engagement with the repetition of squares within squares infuses her work with harmonious chaos and a poetic resonance reflective of life's complexity.
As a living body, O'Mara's work delves into relationships and connections, emphasising the impossibility of true separation between elements and underscoring the interconnectedness of life, perception, and the act of seeing.
Colour, a dynamic force in constant interaction, takes centre stage in O'Mara's artistic vocabulary. The relationship between colours is used to describe feelings and experiences in a non-verbal, visual way. Likewise, the physicality of paint holds paramount importance for the artist, her paintings navigating the tension between visible depth and flatness, becoming physical objects that embody a delicate balance between materialism and illusion.
The artist's exploration of perception and structural compositions spurs from a personal experience. Following a brain injury in 2017, O'Mara's vision was severely damaged, leading her to having to learn how to 'see' again. This transformative period influenced her artistic approach; her paintings become a reflection of her altered perception and a testament to the malleability of the human experience.
