Pascale-Nancy’s spectacular abstract expressionist acrylic and mixed media paintings feature dramatic juxtapositions of color and a sculptural understanding of paint. Raised in the south of France and now living near Montreal, her work evokes both the color palettes and lighting effects of French post-Impressionists, and the abstract tradition of post-war Quebec. More than combining disparate art historical traditions, though, Pascale-Nancy seeks to bridge the visible world and parallel dimensions of energy.
Though often extrapolated from some real environment – whether urban or natural – she reduces physical forms to their most essential to uncover shimmering color fields and bold, expressive shapes. Sometimes the resulting works are playful, light-dappled compositions of complimentary hues, elsewhere Pascale-Nancy conveys extreme energies with sharp forms and starkly contrasting colors. Each work’s emotional resonance is undeniably gripping, conveying extremes of shock, melancholy and ambition. These are bolstered by the paints’ textures, which go from brisk daubs and even swaths to jagged peaks and frenetic brushstrokes. Pascale-Nancy channels the brilliant energies she portrays so insightfully.