I went to the opening of Brigitte Carnochan’s new work at Modernbook. Snapshots of that appear in another post here.

My Notes

neither a new subject nor a new relationship with that subject. It is though an accomplished effort. The work is marked by consistency and photographic skill. she has set herself a high standard to perform to as a printer. her standards of painting, of the autographic art are not up to her apparent self directed challenge. this is not the work of a mature artist, it is however the work of someone who can mature. Not the work so much of a painter doing photography. An artist bringing their skills to this print medium. It is, instead, the work of a photographer with fine print skills expanding them by modest, almost tentative strokes of “paint.” She trys to maintain control by keeping her brush within the lines of the under print. this work isn’t done with a painters eye of brush work. neither the brush work of expression, nor of tempera. We can see the strokes as she comes close to the edge. she follows the curve of an existing leaf, keeping within and without that line. Unfortunately she seems not to return and temper her strokes. Rather than these appearing to be the work of a painter of canvas, it seems closer to the painter of windows and walls.

she seems compelled to keep the edge, maintaing the separation between colors, as though she didn’t want the “paint” to get on the glass of the window. And she doesn’t trust her hand skill to return to that surface in alternative directions, either to smooth or disturb the color.

It may be engaging, but that doesn’t mean it is enriching.