Patricia Heal
May 18th – June 26, 2005
The Robin Rice Gallery is pleased to announce a solo exhibition of Photography by Patricia Heal. The opening reception will be held on Wednesday, May 18th 2005 from 5:30 pm to 8:30 pm. The show will run through June 26th, 2005.
Through her amber tones, Heal creates a vintage mood of tranquility and timelessness in her latest work. Heal captures both the vulnerability and strength of women's bodies in her series of nudes bathed in a veneer of coppery translucence. We see a hint of Renaissance harmony in her compositions, from the soft curves of a back, torso and thigh to the gentle slope of an open palm, wrist and forearm. Voluptuous bodies and props appear steeped in stillness. Heal's sheer fabrics, see-through textures and ornamental costume patterns are reminiscent of decorative artists like Vuillard.
In this new body of work entitled Anime et Corporis (Latin for Body & Soul), Heal presents a series of female nude studies and still lifes. It's a radical shift from Heal's previous bold stripes, lime green skirt pleats, and paisleys to muted earthy tones. Heal's current tonal range is a much more subtle, monochromatic palette of sienna and amber hues reminiscent of the gum bichromates images of the early turn of the century Pictorialists. Through fanciful, surreal images reflective of Man Ray, Heal explores the sensual amidst the whimsical. Her fluid 'soliloquys' are filled with feminine strength and nuance, much like their almost colorless hues. The photographs present the female form in a classical style accentuated by rotund, soft and sinuous poses. Mindful of the works of masters Rembrandt and Degas, from which Heal has drawn inspiration, the models are posed gracefully, in quiet, erotic celebration of their physical selves; their relaxed body language illustrates the comfort they experience with their own nudity and the courage with which they remain vulnerable.
In the invitational piece, Woman Sitting, the slightly leaning, thinking figure, elbow on table, flashes on Rodin's Thinker as a meditative study. In the texture-rich Artichoke, Heal suggests a striking juxtaposition of the numbly vegetable resting in the palm of a hand -- with a giant accordion fan-like cuff: staggering yet mesmerizing. Rope amuses us with its quirky textures of twine, adjacent to one matter-of-fact scaly fish.
Born in England, where she studied art and drama, Patricia Heal came to New York in the late 1980's after receiving her degree in photography. She currently works as a commercial photographer with such clients as L.A. Times magazine, Neiman Marcus, Matrix and City magazine. Most recently she received The Society of Publication Designers Award for photography, as well as The Communication Arts Photography Award, a Nikon Photo District News award and a Fuji Film promotion award. Since 1993 this is her fifth solo exhibition at The Robin Rice Gallery.