International Artist is a Jewel in the North West’s Crown By Kelly Moralee DURING  April and May the Wendy J Levy Contemporary Art Gallery hosted its second solo exhibition of new work by Lisa De Prudhoe; a very successful opening evening set the tone for the following three weeks that showcased this unique artist’s superb collection entitled ‘A System of Aesthetics’. Lisa De Prudhoe, already a well-known artist in her native Panama, is now making her mark on the Manchester art scene. Following the success of her sell-out exhibitions in South America, she has brought her colourful, powerful and unusual canvases to the North West. Lisa’s pieces have an incredible sense of depth created by using as many as forty layers of paint applied with minute and intri- cate brushstrokes. The results are completely unique - vibrant paintings with an extraordinary 3D effect, beautiful shapes over- laid to create areas of density that are then cleverly balanced by her amazing use of colour.   ‘A System Of Aesthetics’ clearly demonstrates Lisa’s astounding technical knowledge, precision and ability, each piece being a testament to the work and dedi- cation of this unusual artist. For this exhibition Lisa created pieces in a variety of sizes, often on a smaller scale than her previous work, in order to complement the environment in which they were superbly displayed. Lisa’s work is loosely aligned with the Constructivist move- ment, a school of abstract art recognisable for its minimal and geometric forms. This spatial awareness and love of geometric shapes are undeniably present in ‘A System of Aesthetics’. It is impossible not to be captivated by the unusual interplay of colour, shape and form that make Lisa’s work so striking and memorable. Each canvas is alive with feeling and movement that generates an energetic and vibrant atmosphere within the gallery. Lisa is able to bring a sense of the exotic into the heart of the North West; her bold style and exciting mix of colour create an illusion of warmth through pieces as engaging and enigmatic as the artist herself. Her pieces make powerful statements yet are still able to convey a sense of softness, sharp geometric lines are off set by the use of beautiful concentric shapes that create a new focus in pieces such as ‘Indefinites Disclosed IV’ and ‘Canto VIII’. Lisa De Prudhoe was born in Santa Monica, California in 1963, before moving to Panama where she has achieved huge success and critical acclaim exhibiting extensively with a variety of sell-out shows. The Museum of Contemporary Art and the Inter-Oceanic Museum are just two of the sites in Panama that boast collections of her work. True to her interna- tional roots she has exhibited in the UK, at the Wendy J Levy Contemporary Art Gallery and Gallery 54 among others, the USA with exhibitions in Washington DC as well as in Nicaragua, Ecuador, Costa Rica and Melbourne to name a few. Lisa is currently showing at Gallery 54, Ross on Wye with an exhibition titled ‘Remoter Atmospheres’. Lisa’s next venture will be her exhibition, ‘The Other Side Of Silence’ at the Prada Gallery in Washington DC, an event that is sure to attract a global audience with people from many parts of the world already committing themselves to attend the open- ing. Lisa’s work, with its tropical colours and distinctive shapes, has created an international following that will surely bring her the reputation she deserves here in the UK. Having settled here in the north west of England made Lisa De Prudhoe a successful candidate for inclusion in the book ‘A Colourful Canvas - Twelve Women Artists in the North West’. Details of the book can be found on page 14. 12 THE  ART OBSERVER June 2007 LISA’S WORK WITH ITS TROPICAL COLOURS AND DISTINCTIVE SHAPES, HAS CREATED AN INTERNATIONAL FOLLOWING Space’s Vast Society A System of Aesthetics Preview Evening A new limited signed edition print by Lisa De Prudhoe can be bought online at www.wendyjlevy-art.com