The Inner Way

Paintings that capture the mystical element in nature and the human psyche, by

Pam Karouni

Decoy Café Bar Gallery, 303 Exhibition St, Melbourne

7 August - 28 September 2012

Decoy, in the heart of Melbourne CBD, is a great place to enjoy food, drink, and art. Pam's exhibition of 28 paintings in acrylics provided plenty to see and enjoy. Along with themes including nature and mythology, there were also intangibles such as feelings, thoughts and memories, as the title of her show, The Inner Way, suggests.

There were works on natural themes such as flowers, butterflies and sea scapes, but as with many of her works, there was a twist. The abstracted forms showed aspects and elements of her subjects, and how she reacted or interacted with them, capturing "the mystical element in nature and the human psyche". Her Dragon Flowers showed the blooms as bright orange flashes against blues and greens. As in many of her works, the colours had been spread and flowed into each other, as well as being applied by brush, creating intricate patterns and effects.

Uncertainty dealt more with the human psyche: a man about to chop at something unseen, beyond the foreground. Why did he pause and consider, was his foot in the way or was he uncertain as to whether he should do this or not? Perhaps the wild dark blue and magenta sky reflected his emotions, while the white monkey or lemur stared straight at the viewer, adding to the mystery. This was a more figurative work, with only the sky abstracted.

In Ancient Shipwreck, the skeletal abstract form of the shipwreck appeared to be viewed from the air, embedded in a black land mass, with water and foam to the left. A very striking and dramatic work, in a palette limited to black, white, grey and slate blue.

The proprietors and staff of Decoy always enjoy seeing the regularly changing exhibitions of CAS members' works, as do their many patrons. One staff member particularly liked Uncertainty and the monkey. I hope you got to see the show too.

Reviewed by Cressida Fox