Jane Harris

"From a formal point of view, my paintings are deceptively simple. Five constants are present : the geometric form of the ellipse ; the brushstroke made in metallic oil paint ; borders composed of repeated small semi-ellipses ; colours based on the colours that I see in the world; the play of light on the surface which creates optical effects, transforming this apparent simplicity into a dynamic complexity. 
Depending on their physical position, viewers can perceive that the paintings are in a state of constant change producing a range of subtle optical transformations. One is unable to fix one’s gaze and uncertainties are generated, the paintings existing somewhere between geometric abstraction, ornamentation and spatial illusion. Relationships between figure and ground, surface and depth and plane and volume become ambiguous as I seek to create paintings that cannot be defined in conventional terms of abstraction or representation. 
Drawing is integral to my practice in two complementary ways. In the initial stage of making a painting I select a small schematic drawing and expand it to the actual dimensions of the painting. I then transfer this drawing by tracing on to the canvas.
As a medium in its own right, my drawings are calculated, exact and rigorous. But by making detailed adjustments to the edges, the proportions and the relative positioning of the shapes, an individuality to each drawing occurs, producing visual rhythms, shifts in scale and a sensual playfulness."