Barney Savage is pleased to premiere This is real and that's not, a new exhibition of recent paintings by Jillian Denby. Acclaimed for her very large figurative oil paintings, this exhibit presents her work in a more modestly scaled and conceptual level, investigating the quotidian passage of time.

"Nature can be overwhelming and landscape a little removed. With that in mind and viewing it directly, I try to acknowledge its presence, while conceptualizing a fragile observational dialogue". - Jillian Denby

Denby's compositions appear poignantly intimate, as her quasi-voyeuristic observations capture human behavior with painterly alacrity. Working in upstate New York, the artist has the ability to observe directly from nature and incorporate into it what she already knows about the human figure, turning her experience into compelling and credible images. Different days present various atmospheric or climatic conditions that are advantageous to specific images the artist is working with. She often makes adjustments to her environment, in order to reflect spatial arrangements she may desire for her vision. Within a natural wildness she puts together multiple task related activities that appear at the same time, as part of the same image. Looking into the space, sometimes looking out, figure groups are included as they offer human scale to the landscape as well as noise, grouping and color. Working with visual polarities, she pairs chaotic against quiet, busy figures against simple, work-like against serene; things that are not always complimentary, but together create a dynamic balance.
The stark differences between the control an artist has over figures or domestic situations juxtaposed with a lack of control over nature is something to consider in Jillian Denby's work. Through the natural portals depicted in these new paintings one can view the various attempts to dominate wild surroundings. The artist leaves the viewer lost in it, having to just let go.

Jillian Denby (b.1944) is an American painter that lives and works in upstate, New York. She is the recipient of three National Endowment for the Arts grants. Her exhibitions have been the subject of several New York Times reviews, and can be found in private and public collections including the Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden at the Smithsonian Institution, Washington, D.C.