2008 Strobe Series: Nos. 7 & 8, 101 Miller Street, North Sydney

Site specific commission, 101 Miller Street, North Sydney
Commissioner: Glen Bowden for Mirvac

Glenis Israel writes: “At first glance the Strobe Series paintings give the illusion that they have been airbrushed or spray-painted but actually Borgelt is displaying her considerable painting skill, gently blending colours with wide brushes creating an optical illusion. They are displaying a recurrence of the painting techniques of the Bloodlight series. The surface pulses with an energy suggestive of surging tidal currents, heart beats, veins throbbing, electric pulses. All of which record the passing of time. They have an illusive quality with their subtle layering or blending of colour, some areas being translucent, while others quite solid. In this series we see an extension of Borgelt’s interest in the power of colour, her earlier signature red and later pale lemon being joined by bold combinations of lime green, purple, rich yellow and pink. Borgelt explores the soft vibrancy of colour as well as the jarring effect of unusual combinations. These works are exotic in the richness of their surfaces, alluring in their darkness as well as their luminosity whilst creating a sense of energy. The Strobe series revisits the exploration of optical effects of The Liquid Light series, only expressed in a different, bolder painterly way.”

Strobe Series: No. 7, 2008; oil, sand, canvas on shaped timber frames; 450 x 270cm

Strobe Series: No. 8, 2008; 2 diptych: oil, sand, canvas, timber frames; 120 x 480cm