Lois Dickson's Fungal Paintings at John Davis Gallery Explore Nature's Architecture

Lois Dickson's exhibition at John Davis Gallery from January 6 to January 29 presents paintings focused on bracket fungus and other fungal forms, which she describes as nature's "bones." Her 2004 works "Lost" and "Commencement" demonstrate her technique of repeated observation and contour reworking, creating shallow pictorial spaces with tangled brushwork and hatched marks. Dickson's approach involves modifying contours through careful reiterations, using horizontal and vertical strokes to define forms while maintaining tension between descriptive marks and independent brushwork. The "Dunderawe" series features small paintings with thick impasto reminiscent of Monet's water lilies, though larger compositions prove more successful for her busy revisions. Her paintings mix natural and unnatural light sources, creating ambiguous spaces that record the interconnectivity between mind, hand, and eye. Through overlaying observations and rediscovering nuances with each viewing, Dickson develops abstract concepts from natural forms rather than pursuing exacting realism.