A personal reflection: Trevor Dunbar
This latest Body of Work, “Wherever it may Lead†by Susana Enriquez showing at the John Miller Gallery in Newcastle is a tribute to her strength as an abstract painter. Much of Post modernism has seen a return to the figurative in painting and despite this trend Enriquez remains in passionate pursuit of the challenges of working with the non-figurative to reflect her own powerful aesthetic. It is a tribute to Enriquez that her work continues to develop with such power and strength.
The exhibition is a sustained and engaging show of some 20 works. The challenge that lies in constructing an abstract work with the multiple levels of engagement that Enriquez demonstrates is a measure of the commitment she has for her practice. All genres of painting demand their own criteria for success and the process of abstraction is arguably one of the most challenging. Her skill as an artist is demonstrated in her ability to construct such powerful works from such minimal elements.
Susana Enriquez story is a fascinating one and as much as art communicates, this body of work is a measure of the Time and Place she finds herself in. Each work is a response to her own journey and the importance of the studio in her life, which she commits herself to daily in pursuit of her own goals. To see the paintings on an individual basis and to see them as an exhibition of work is a rewarding experience and again a testimony to her skill and dedication as an artist.
Trevor Dunbar – Head of Visual Arts at Canberra Grammar School
Director The Gallery Canberra Grammar School
September 2007
