Lisa Milroy

Lisa Milroy is regarded as being in the vanguard of British contemporary art and yet defies its unwritten conventions. At a time when the 'avant garde' tacitly considers much traditional subject matter to be taboo, Milroy embraces subjects which have been depicted for thousands of years.

On a recent journey to Africa, she absorbed with enthusiasm exactly the same aspects of the country which entices so many tourists - the landscape, the sunset, and the wild animals. Courageously she treats her subject matter with the same energy and affection as she has previously lavished on images as diverse as plates, shoes, food, houses, flowers, or rocks. She is inspired by her vast repertoire of subjects, but the greatest joy lies in the act of creation itself.

African Safari at the Alan Cristea Gallery consists not of paintings but of lithograph monotypes. The meticulous precision which has imbued her art with an aura of stillness and suspended animation is now complemented by the sweeping gestures of the monotypes. This new medium, which demands swiftness of execution, gives equal licence to her supreme painterly skill but also affords her a totally different means of expression through which to develop her iconographic repertoire.

Paintings of the same subject matter will be shown in a concurrent exhibition at Waddington Galleries, London, allowing visitors to make the fascinating comparison between her familiar medium and her new interest in the potential of print.