"The most beautiful thing we can experience is the mysterious. It is the source of all true art and science." - Albert Einstein

Daron Letts
Northern News Services

Yellowknife (July 08/05) - Artist Terry Pamplin is working on some mysterious creations in his old town studio this month.

Artist Terry Pamplin holds his latest pieces while admiring his painting, Things I Haven't Told You About Fallen Angels. - Daron Letts/NNSL photo

Pamplin is completing 24 pieces, which will debut in a group show at Edmonton's Centre D'Arts Visuel De L'Alberta.

His work consists of two series of a dozen pieces each. They include In a Rose's Garden, inspired by the universe of colour found in his partner's garden in Peace River Flats, and Einstein's Cross, inspired by the universe.

Painted in acrylic on found shapes of masonite and cedar, the swirls and swishes of blue, green and yellow in Pamplin's garden paintings evoke a worm's-eye view of bright flowers and lush greenery.

"These paintings are a departure for me from representational painting to more suggestive imagery," he said.

"I'm wandering into the abstract and letting go of painting flowers to play with the theme of flowers."

The dynamic curves and sense of depth in the paintings are reminiscent of some of Pamplin's earlier space scapes.

Einstein's Cross features a multimedia sculpture centred on a plastic Einstein action figure and a toy spaceman, representing dark matter.

His materials include circuit boards, clockworks, wires, magazine clippings and a detail from a photograph Pamplin snapped years ago in a strip club.

The series marks the 60th anniversary of the publication of Einstein's theory of relativity.

You can view other examples of Pamplin's work at Mary and Friends Tea Room, Kerrin's Restaurant and the Northern Frontier Visitor's Centre.