A review of 'Returning' at the Parsonage Gallery Didsbury June 2024

Malcolm Allum BA. M.Des.RCA

 

Katie Patel - The Manchester Expressionist.

 

On the left of the yellow gallery at the Parsonage lies a group of exceptional paintings of local scenes that have been seen with fresh eyes. From under our northern skies an inner light shines forth from Nature. With an intoxicating exuberance colour dances and vibrates in the celebration of life. These are not photorealistic paintings, instead they convey the experience of life itself,  energetic, sacramental and ever-changing.

 

Katie Patel is a modern day shaman in that she communicates her inner experience of the world to us.  We cannot help but respond to her work. Our instincts leads us to dance with her as ? Why not? Her work echoes that of the German expressionists Emil Nolde and the early Kandinsky who both wanted to express a deep spirituality in their rendition of nature.

 

On the other side of the room she explores the mystery of light reflecting on water.  Surrounding forms dissolve and rearrange themselves into rhythms and patterns reflecting their sources  but also forming another dance, another set of rhythms and movements inviting us again to participate in the eternal rhythms of life.

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