Above: Janice Brown, Coral Reef, 2023. Acrylic on Canvas, 53 x 73cm. $1,000. Courtesy: the artist
Artist Janice Brown sees her work as a balm to the negativity in the world – an aim especially pertinent given she developed her art practice during the long days of lockdown. Her works convey a joyful energy, none more so than Coral Reef, which captures a sense of wonderment at the world that lies just beneath the surface of the water. The artist pays special attention to the refraction of light as waves move overhead, leaving rhythmic patches of colour bare, surrounded by textural passages of bright blue.
Some of the scene’s inhabitants are easy to identify, with richly hued corals winding in from the edges of the canvas, while others disguise themselves amongst the hubbub of colour.
The artist has chosen to convey a confused sense of perspective in this work, the piece existing somewhere between figuration and abstraction. Do we spy a starfish hidden amongst the sand, or merely a whirl of water above our heads?
This sense of immersion is freeing, allowing us to observe this submarine habitat in whatever way we wish. Brown’s pleasure in executing this piece is clear to the viewer, and her work thrums with a sense of life that we can take our time exploring.