The four elements of nature

Many contemporary artists use abstract painting and sculpture to express a physical motif and people prefer this kind of work because they want to be able to recognise physical objects in an artwork. We know that not all artists work on abstracted forms derived from anything specific in the material world but there are others who derive their inspiration directly from nature. This is the case of Barbara O'Brien, who is holding her first solo art exhibition entitled The Elements in Me at Gallerija Couvre Porte, in Vittoriosa.

A relatively new name and a beginner in the Maltese art scene, Dr O'Brien uses emotive colours, abstract shapes and surface textures to create visual metaphors from contemporary life. As a child she spent a great deal of her time drawing and later she continued her art studies at secondary and post-secondary schools. These were years of exploration and development when she learnt the skills of drawing and painting, both in formal art classes as well as on her own. While she was developing these fundamental skills, she was also developing an eye for light and atmosphere. Although she wanted to continue her art studies she had to stop for some time because of other commitments and her studies to get a university degree in law. In fact, Dr O'Brien is a practising lawyer specialising in family law. The other facet of her life is art. When she finds time she grabs large sheets of paper and paints with an immediacy of painterly possibilities to express her boundless emotional feelings.

When we look closely at the works of Dr O'Brien we see that the process of her creation is an act of making marks on paper with strong vibrant colours, a way of totally absorbing herself in the art of painting. It was only lately that she returned to painting and her first attempt to appear in public was when she exhibited her paintings at the YMCA-BOV Streets Alive collective exhibition which was held in Valletta on July 20. Dr O'Brien worked intensely on several paintings during these last few months culminating in her first personal art show.

The artist derives her inspiration from many sources. She stated: "I get inspired by everything and anything. Inspiration is all around me, all the time, sometimes in the most unexpected places. I could be simply looking up at the sky or watching a drop of rain hit the ground. It could be an experience I or someone else went through. I am inspired also by the very simple things such as finding a new knife or colour at my arts supplies shop to an intense emotion which evokes an urge to translate it into a painting." One can say that Dr O'Brien is inspired by many aspects of nature. But unlike those artists who sought to express the morphological aspect of nature, the artist uses abstract imagery to convey her message.

In this exhibition, Dr O'Brien discovers the richness and aesthetic beauty conveyed by nature through the colours of the four elements: earth, water, air and fire. She effectively succeeded to communicate these visual images, enabling the association of ideas and symbolic meanings based upon her senses and experiences.

Her work entitled The Cliffs Edge, which is part of this collection, shows us how the artist interpreted the archetypal symbol of the earth and the most complex emotions evoked from the simplest of forms. These open the imagination, while instructing us about the ways and infinite varieties of nature. Dr O'Brien maintains: "Through my studies I realised that the elements are almost one and the same with a person's emotions. The elements were an intriguing means by which I could express my innermost emotions." Neolithic Times is another work which is also linked with the theme of Mother Earth. Here, the artist emphasises the use of the circle and spirals as symbols of continuity which are found in most prehistoric artifacts and temple structures in Malta.

The sea is another element in nature which inspired many artists throughout the ages. Dr O'Brien tackled this complex subject many times and with great success. The Ocean Kiss, made with embossed, wavy impasto of hues of blue colour, unveils the great possibilities the artist discovered while experimenting with different techniques to achieve the best possible effects. In these aquatic paintings she makes us get immersed in the liquid world of movement and explore the ocean's mysterious depths.

In an expressionistic manner, the artist symbolically expressed the element of "fire" with a spiritual intensity. We find interesting works like The Golden Waves of Fire, The Burn and Fjamma executed with stripes of vibrant reds, yellows and even gold. The purging fire brings blazes of heat and leaves negative and positive effects. Fire transforms material and it consumes the old and releases the new. Above all it is the life force of the cosmos.

I believe that Dr O'Brien is on the right track to continue her artistic endeavour. This exhibition provided the artist time to talk to the public about her work and to gain an insight of the perceptions of the viewers. For her this is just the beginning of an aesthetic journey which will lead her to cultivate more her creative powers and passion for nature.

• The exhibition remains open until November 30. The opening hours are Monday to Friday from 9 a.m. to 12.30 p.m. and also Wednesday to Sunday from 7 to 9 p.m.