Kasia Bytnerowicz's Tablecloth

The general virtues of this work are that the artist successfully employs an "all-or-nothing" working method to bring a complex work into existence solely through the addition of paint and that the resulting complexity is presented in an unassuming way.

The pared down elegance of this work initially deflects the viewers attention from the wealth of abstract, formal and self-referential elements within.

Ostensibly a representational work, this work clearly offers an abstract sensibilty. Note how the shape of the unpainted (canvas) linen in the top half of the work imitates the shape of the white draped cloth.

The triangular expanse of raw canvas at the bottom of the work suggests individual shapes within the folds of the draped cloth.

This work is part of a series titled "threadbare". Interestingly, the artist has manipulated the raw (linen) canvas by removing and bunching individual threads so that it suggests material which is threadbare.

Literally being able to see through the work calls the viewer's attention to the wall, hanging wire and wooden stretcher bars.

The opened up linen drawn tightly over wooden bars loosely suggests a portable loom and the discernible presence of a hard flat wall behind the work amplifies the lightness of the hanging cloth.