Translation of the article “Französin sucht das Gleichgewicht” by Vitor Zimmerer, in Rheinische Post (Dusseldorf), January, 25th, 2003. Original in German translated by E. Brewer.

The preparations for the opening of the new exhibition in the Konrad-Mönter Gallery did not go very smoothly. Mönter himself explained in a short opening speech the different things that went wrong before the exhibition. The airplane from France arrived late; the son, who was supposed to translate for the artist, was sick and a replacement had to be found immediately. Lastly, the frames were missing. But we dealt with the problems just in time.

On Thursday evening about a dozen visitors were present to enjoy and view the results of the project called “Espaces Pluriel: (multiple rooms) by Francoise Issaly. The drawings and paintings, created with aquarells, acrylics and pastels, show multiple layers created with different techniques. The effects often resemble looking at things through a fog or the view through a frosty window which shows landscapes sometimes assuming peaceful, sometimes restless forms and structures. Dominant in her work are the strong, drawn lines on the first layer, which show up in all her artwork.

Issaly is fascinated by the concept of these different layers, to her they represent the past, present and the future. With every period of life new and different layers are created. The defined lines are the Buddhist idea of balance which leads to inner peace. This balance is only a fleeting moment and the artist shows the search for this transition in her work. The 34 year old Issaly, who was born in Beziers and currently lives in Canada, has been studying the teachings Buddhism for a while.

Without her explanation of her motives behind her work, it is difficult and sometimes impossible to recognize this. For Issaly this is, however, not necessary. She is not trying to convey a message, “I just want my work to communicate with the viewer”.

The exhibition will continue until Feb. 19.