Monica d. Church

“Church’s work has rarely been about the grand gesture or the big, bold statement; it does not rely on loud color combinations, monumental scale, or shocking imagery to gain notice. Instead, her often small paintings are quiet, intimate revelations that at first glance seem quite ordinary yet have the ability to arrest one’s gaze with their precise placements of carefully selected hues. Her skill with color is especially apparent in her larger paintings. The size serves to envelop rather than bombard. The elegance of composition and the beauty of color relationships entice the viewer to linger, look beneath the surface, and marvel that the right combination of simple elements can be so profoundly satisfying. We are coaxed to note the nuance of color; its shade, temperature, and the tension created when next to another hue. And though the work is full of intuitive expression, there is a sense that every element has been consciously utilized. Her images seem to say, “notice how that particular green glows next to that particular grey,” or “...how that yellow mark resonates,” or “...how that splash of cool red lights up that field of blue.” Even without objective reference these paintings are able to evoke a feeling of gratitude that such moments exist all about in big and small ways and call us to be a little more committed to seeing and recognizing our connection to them.”