Edwina Leapman had her first solo exhibition in 1974 and has been shown by Annely Juda Fine Art since 1976. This exhibition provides a unique opportunity to trace the development of her work during these past thirty years with 19 paintings on display dating from 1976 to 2005. It is the first time a selection of her works from such a wide period have been shown together.
Leapman’s work is based on line and process with her paint stroke running in parallel lines from left to right. The early works in this show have a thin transparent canvas-coloured ground over- painted with tight horizontal bands of white. More recent works have complex dense grounds made up of thin washes of various colours. The broader horizontal bands on these later works are frequently of contrasting tones to the ground and the line is often fragmented – creating a sugges- tion of its continuation. In these works the function of line and colour start to merge.
Leapman’s paintings need to be given time for their full impact and depth to be realised. The cross section of work displayed in this show indicate that the subtle developments in her work have a surprisingly pronounced effect on the end result. Her enduringly sensitive manipulation of colour, line and light can here be fully appreciated.
