POLLY GILROY – Whispers of a Burnt Sky – 15 Sept – 9 Oct, 2026

At first glance, these works may appear to be traditional colour abstractions but a closer look reveals a subversion of standard painting techniques. Instead of applying paint on the surface of a canvas, Polly Gilroy stretches chiffon over a frame and backing board she has previously painted. This structural inversion utilises the sheer fabric to mute the composition beneath, resulting in visually striking colourfields defined by soft, understated geometries. These works glow.

Whispers of a Burnt Sky explores how shifting atmospheric colours and fleeting moments of light shape our relationship with the surrounding environment. Gilroy investigates meditative moments – particularly those of morning and evening – observing red sky dawns, rich sunsets melting into clouds, reflections off coastlines and windows, or light glimmering through the canopies of trees. Several pieces remind us how low winter light casts beams through windows and is cast skewed across walls. She notices the way daylight touches and illuminates, never staying still, and photographs ephemeral moments to inform the shapes and colours of her final works. 

The two large works titled Daylight Spills draw inspiration from transition, capturing the luminous, cool-toned clarity of a crisp sunrise and the subdued, atmospheric tranquility of a quiet dusk. Bleeding Sun investigates the chromatic, blood-red sunset hues that flood the sky with intense, saturated light and high-contrast warmth. In contrast, Amber Tide is more loosely inspired by coastal landscapes and the evanescence of morning beneath a fractured sky. Gilroy observes the shift of clouds on blue sky with rays of sunlight breaking through, casting dynamic, high-sheen reflections across wet sand and undulating waves.

           

“I have taken inspiration from the Support/Surfaces movement that emerged from the South of France during the 1960s and 1970s. Protagonists of that movement stripped painting down to its formal elements and reimagined the place of art within society. In their work, the canvas and stretcher bars frequently became the focus and illusory pictorial space was abandoned. Minimalism was redefined. Influenced by the Support/Surfaces movement’s re-imaginings, I have been embracing the point of transition between sculpture and painting, creating structures which explore the nature of perception, bringing the support frame into the formal composition and using light as an active player.”

Based in Ōtautahi Christchurch, Polly Gilroy graduated with a BFA (first class honours) from Toi Rauwhārangi, Massey University College of Creative Arts, Wellington in 2017. Since, she has exhibited across Aotearoa, New Zealand and also in Australia. This is Gilroy’s 5th exhibition with us at PG gallery192.

 

ARTIST TALK – Sat 19 Sept 11am
Free entry, all welcome!