Felim Egan At Robert Brown Gallery. Washington DC
By Ferdinand Protzman
Special to The Washington Post Thursday, May 18, 2000
Robert Brown Gallery is showing mixed-media paintings and watercolors by Felim Egan, who has built an
international reputation as one of Ireland's leading contemporary artists. Judging by this terrific exhibition, that
renown is well deserved.
Egan's abstract paintings were inspired by the rocks and greenery of Ireland's countryside and the ever-changing
seascape surrounding the island. That comes through most clearly in the soft, misty colors, the muted, mossy
greens and dappled blues.
But his works are also rigorously composed geometrical studies that have remarkable depth and textures. In his
mixed-media paintings on square wood panels, Egan combines sand or ground stone with acrylic pigment to create
a medium in which the brush strokes have a subtly sparkling, three-dimensional presence.
Shapes and figures seem to emerge from and recede into that sandstonelike surface, which he scores with a single,
horizontal line and sets off by including a few small square patches covered with smooth wax.
The contrast between the large and small squares and the rough and smooth textures creates a vibrant interaction
between the surface and depths of these intriguing works. © 2000 The Washington Post Company
By Ferdinand Protzman
Special to The Washington Post Thursday, May 18, 2000
Robert Brown Gallery is showing mixed-media paintings and watercolors by Felim Egan, who has built an
international reputation as one of Ireland's leading contemporary artists. Judging by this terrific exhibition, that
renown is well deserved.
Egan's abstract paintings were inspired by the rocks and greenery of Ireland's countryside and the ever-changing
seascape surrounding the island. That comes through most clearly in the soft, misty colors, the muted, mossy
greens and dappled blues.
But his works are also rigorously composed geometrical studies that have remarkable depth and textures. In his
mixed-media paintings on square wood panels, Egan combines sand or ground stone with acrylic pigment to create
a medium in which the brush strokes have a subtly sparkling, three-dimensional presence.
Shapes and figures seem to emerge from and recede into that sandstonelike surface, which he scores with a single,
horizontal line and sets off by including a few small square patches covered with smooth wax.
The contrast between the large and small squares and the rough and smooth textures creates a vibrant interaction
between the surface and depths of these intriguing works. © 2000 The Washington Post Company
