The sun desires only you

Mega-flora, pattern painting, and gestural abstraction characterize John Pule's new body of work. Large canvases feature bold red buds and lush botanical forms rendered in thickly poured and bled paint, creating a sense of verdant abundance. In the back gallery, intensely colored paintings in purples and blues conjure underwater and mythological atmospheres, with accompanying figures and pictographic elements. Unable to attend the opening due to other commitments, Pule's presence is asserted through an evocative poem and a rare 2006 self-portrait etching in which his torso becomes flower and leaf. The exhibition combines Pule's lyrical poetry with densely layered abstraction and representational imagery.