Jackie Ellens’ Gold, Silver, and Grey III

A study in luminous restraint, this nearly square canvas by John Richard works gold leaf finish against silver and grey in a composition that feels at once ancient and thoroughly contemporary. The shallow depth of the frame allows the work to sit flush to the wall with quiet authority, its modest scale belying the density of presence it commands in a room. Part of Jackie Ellens' ongoing series, it carries the cumulative intelligence of a body of work — each tonal shift deliberate, each surface a meditation on the relationship between warmth and cool.