Exhibition Nefarious : Flow State

Marie Le Lievre's paintings are in the first instance objects of sensual experience. We feel the artist's regard of her medium -- in this case ancient oil -- and its tactility, tone, depth and power of evocation. This is an artist who understands her medium and how it will behave but this is also an artist who as alchemist will allow the medium some say in its performance.

In these new paintings the power of paint is literally contained. Borders creating containers within the boundaries of the stretched canvas speak to the artist's tussle with the medium and the inherent tension between control and chaos, between concept and craft. Marie suggests these issues and more with her title, which with knowing wit captures the tension between the struggle of painting to define itself in contemporary art history and its ongoing physical seduction and relevance -- its capacity in its abstraction to speak to the world of ideas.

Marie Le Lievre has a Master of Fine Arts from the University of Canterbury. She is Christchurch based and has exhibited nationally and internationally -- in the past year showing in New Zealand, Australia, Japan and France. Her work is in public and private collections.