Jillian Karl has worked collaboratively with Bill Milbank to install her exhibition. Photo / Bevan Conley
Artist Jillian Karl says there is nothing dark and sinister about her exhibition - black now showing at WHMilbank Gallery. Film Faced Plywood
She just enjoys black - working with it and wearing it.
- black is a survey exhibition - a themed collection of Karl's works created from 2000 to 2018.
Karl, along with her husband and her artist daughter Claudine Kitson, moved to Whanganui from Waiheke Island last year and Karl has already exhibited and curated an exhibition at Gallery 85 in Glasgow St and had work included in the Whanganui Arts Review at the Sarjeant.
Bill Milbank, who had worked with a friend to make alterations and create three larger walls in his gallery's front exhibition space late last year, said it has been a perfect time to welcome Karl's work.
"This enables Jillian's selected works to dynamically claim their place on these walls, offering visitors a stunning spatial and visual experience," he said.
Karl has spent the past month gathering the works from storage in different locations to bring the exhibition together.
"The collaboration with Bill has been a great experience for us both," she says.
"I have assembled the work with this space in mind."
The work is mainly on marine ply and cedar, and some small works are painted on glass.
The artist makes her own paints and the pigments range from almost gunmetal greys to shades so deep a black that viewers can see their reflections in the work.
Karl's brushwork on some of the pieces is so densely layered it creates the illusion that she has carved into a thick piece of charcoal rather than built layers of paint.
Some of the curved works are reversed around surprising corners so the backs of the pieces are exposed.
"I like to do that," says Karl.
"It adds an unexpected dimension to the work."
The artist will be available at the gallery to talk about her work from 11.30am until 12pm tomorrow and next Sunday.
Jillian Karl, -black. A survey exhibition 2000 -2018. WHMilbank Gallery, 1B Bell St. Gallery hours Wednesday - Sunday, noon to 4.30pm.
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