Lesley Constable

	Blue Dance 1989. Acrylic on vinyl. 90"x24"x24". Provenance
	Portuguese Man O' War 1983. Acrylic on vinyl. Provenance

"Upper Arlington Artists: Celebrating Our Own 1993" gathers together seven residents who, for the most part, are known for producing consistently excellent and challenging work:… ." …But, despite loving care and the many good individual pieces, the works don't form a cohesive or coherent show. Works don't battle one another; they simply don't commune.

Collings' large, inflated, see-through plastic sculptures stand out as an exception. Seven ebullient, aquatic-seeming works billow above eye level to dominate the main entrance and the gallery. These transparent forms can't fail to lift the spirit. Larger works are suspended from the ceiling, while smaller works rest on the floor or on white pedestals. All are painted in a series of engaging dot-like or striated patterns. Blue Dance, near the front entrance, is densely painted and patterned; Jelly Fish, near the back, is lightly patterned, allowing transparency to aid in its buoyancy. Many works - including In the Garden: Variable Compilation, Blue Dance and an untitled work - have a spiral, serving as a type of spine, as an organizing element. Collings, a New Zealand native, excels at presenting a curious combination of what seems futuristic but doubles as primitive or elemental. The wonderfully bloated Jelly Fish (spaceship or aquatic life?) with its long, lovely tendrils, is a perfect example. …"

Two Collings photos.

The Artists' Organization was founded in 1984 by a group of professional artists with the purpose of exhibiting their more experimental work. …Betty Collings' fragile yet resilient amoeba-like creatures float suspended, not in a primordial sea, but the gallery's long hall. Her work looks like no other. The technique - inflated vinyl that is covered with resin and fibreglass- expresses primordial origins. Each object is related to subdivision of cells, DNA structure and the larger topic of evolution. Subtly colored transparent shapes are then riotously painted in bright dots and lines. Brown Blowfish and Sea Cucumber embody animal spirits while elegant art nouveau twists and elipses inform Entrance to the Garden and Shanks.