Fenniak's figures, sited in environments of room or landscape, are imbued with an extraordinary sense of self-absorption. Closely valued colour, carefully considered composition, and a sensitively searching brush combine to fix images redolent with the anxieties of the age in which we live. Fenniak's paintings, whether single or multiple figure compositions, are neither slices of everyday life nor traditional studio poses, but rather fictions, which like theatrical illusions reference both the world of appearances and the constructions of the imagination. Fenniak's subject is not just the figure but also the environment of wall, couch, room or landscape that it inhabits. Under the artist's even-handed gaze everything is subject to the same unwavering scrutiny.
Pictorial elements function both as description and as symbol.
Light falling on the folds of clothing, the smallest gesture of a hand, perspective distortion, all contribute to a psychologically loaded atmosphere. Often, large expanses of unadorned wall or cloudless sky are painted with such acute sensitivity that they carry as much of the content of the picture as do the more obvious animate and inanimate subjects. Resisting sentimentality, Fenniak's paintings achieve instead a visceral presence that carries with it the weight of experience. This exhibition is organized and circulated by the Mendel Art Gallery. Gathie Falk 27 October - 7 January For more than thirty years, renowned Canadian artist Gathie Falk has captivated the imagination of the public.