Jenny Pockley: Dreamscapes

14th May 2008

London abounds with views that evoke an air of timelessness, from the architectural splendour of St Paul's to the ebb and flow of a meandering Thames. It is these iconic images that intrigue and capture the imagination of the artist. By juxtaposing close-up architectural detail with a mass of ambient abstract light, Pockley has created an exhibition of dramatic effect where the prevailing mood is thrilling and conversely peaceful and serene.

Pockley greatly admires the American Abstract Expressionists and in particular Mark Rothko and Clyfford Still. It is their application of subtle tonal colour that evokes a sense of purity and atmosphere that is her inspiration. In this series of paintings she combines elements of realism with swaths of chromatic, translucent glazes. Her grounds are punctuated with structures that are sculpted from the light cast upon them.

Intense luminosity, ghostly shadows and a network of sizzling, electric lights create what might be termed dreamscapes. The onlooker is removed from the detritus of urban life, its politics and social structures. We are instead invited to experience the artist's vision, a city glimmering with an enchanting and exuberant ambience where diffused light and shifting radiance, illuminate the depths of London's treasures...