Diamonds in a field

Maria Eilsø’s "Diamonds in a field" is a beautiful and balanced composition that harkens back to such Abstract Expressionist masters as Joan Mitchell. The densely painting sections that wrap around most of the work’s sides are relentless and chaotic. The application of thickly layered pigment provides a depth to these sections that would overwhelm the viewer had Eilsø not expertly inserted open spaces of white paint. These neutral spaces offer visual relief from the tumult surrounding them and increase the tonal impact of the yellows and shades of violet. The work may appear the product of a wild and unplanned paint application. Instead, its harmony of form and color can only be achieved by an artist with a highly advanced understanding of their medium. The viewer can become lost in the painting without being consumed by it. We wander through the gestural strokes of color as one wanders a park without direction, not as one trapped in a labyrinth.