The Fine Art Society in Edinburgh presents the first exhibition in Scotland of work by British contemporary artist Emma Alcock (b.1968). Her oil paintings of isolated objects within graduated colour fields act as ‘an aid to contemplation’ (Julian Spalding, 2017). The representational aspect of Alcock’s work is balanced by areas of semi-abstraction within her compositions, this creates images that are unfamiliar yet familiar, generating a sense of stillness and quietude.

Building thin layers of oil paint, Alcock’s pictures have an inner luminosity which creates an interplay of light and materiality. Shadow, reflection and silhouetted objects are given equal weight within abstracted sections. Divided planes and soft outlines give depth to Alcock’s flattened scenes, gesturing towards depictions of window frames and interior walls.

The work in this exhibition divides between representation and abstraction – detailed still lifes are offset by minimalist circles and rectangles in isolation, each with an expert palatte of complementary tones and colours.