Section from a review of the exhibition - B L A C K - by Ivy Ritchens, May 2019.

, . . .  Situated amongst the portraits, in what may initially appear a divergent juxtaposition, are the abstracted charcoal drawings by Lucas. At the core of these equivocal works are structures resembling a household chair, a motif which has appeared in Lucas’s compositions since the 1970s. She quotes, “One is always aware of the ubiquitous chair in all its various forms.” The abstraction of the chair, as an icon of female domesticity, coincides with the thematic underpinnings of Todd's feminist portraiture. Lucas’s Ladder from the Sanctuary of Nymphe, a multi-dimensional artwork, challenges the spectators gaze as they are dually drawn into, and thrust from the work in a forlorn attempt to secure a stable perspective. The monochromatic work appears to nod to the mathematically formulated work of Maurits Cornelius Esher, and his perplexing manipulation of depth perception and perspective. The structure of the chair enmeshes with the intricate line work distorting the appearance of the commodity. This perversion suggests Lucas’ feminine refutation of traditional gender roles, as the work dissembles domiciliary iconography, and forms a perspective of an expansive dimension, one beyond the domestic sphere...

Notably, the chair motif transcends merely a visual representation on the walls of the gallery, as a classic chair
collection by Herman Miller, Ray and Charles Eames, and Emeco adorn the space. Todd stated,

. . .  “The stainless steel, aluminium and black furniture added harmony and a link (with the art), while the coloured and wooden tones on some chairs provided an exciting contrast.”

. . .  The inclusion of designer furniture indisputably elevates the ambience of the industrial space, though spectators may ruminate whether their installation can be reduced to an act of pure aesthetics or perhaps an extension of the feminist narrative, which underpins the artworks exhibited in Black.

. . .  The chairs appear to cascade from Lucas’ canvas into the gallery. Their contemporary form disrupts the parameters of furniture design, as themes of domesticity collide with the innovative and avant-garde. The furniture epitomises a total repudiation of conformity and classicism, in dually their unique structure, and installation and arrangement within the gallery environment. The monochromatic, geometric structures form an aesthetic reminiscent of the distorted chair motif in the works by Lucas. Provoking the question, does the furniture function as an embellishment to enrich the industrial space? Or as a tangible, 'ready-made' expression of the artworks? "

Ivy Ritchens, May 2019.