Lilies and Alstroemerias
In this charcoal drawing the flowers and foliage emerge outwards from the page in a disorganised, organic mass. The unusual perspective – drawn as if rendered from above – suggests that Nerys Johnson produced the work on a flat surface, rather than on a raised canvas. This may have been a preferred method of working as it would have been less arduous on her arms and hands.
The organic configuration of Lilies and Alstroemerias contrasts to more static and curated still life arrangements. Still life was a means for Johnson to make sense of and document her daily routine, which was increasingly determined by cycles of work, recovery, and periods of forced inactivity. This particular drawing bears the precise date of 28 October 1979 above the artist signature.
