Earth’s Creation is an awe-inspiring artistic tour de force: a masterpiece on a grand scale: a magical medley of the ‘whole lot’, as Emily described it; stories of the earth, her land, the vegetation, the ceremonies, the seasons, and her people.
Like no other single work, it showcases Emily’s artistic verve, and demonstrates her bold self-assuredness, total lack of self-consciousness and complete certainty when approaching a work on this monumental scale. In its creative spontaneity, genius of colour, evocative power and stylistic realisation, it can be compared in turn to the works by international masters Pollock, Kandinsky, Matisse, de Kooning and Monet.
It was created while sitting on the canvas, moving around as she painted continuously, until the entire surface was completed. From every part of the work. the sublime orchestration engages the eye with dazzling energy and flowing movement. Rainbow -like, the vibrant greens, aquamarine blues, duck egg yellows and vermillion reds simultaneously glow and pulsate. These are offset by flows of white, that illuminate from behind creating a mystical, ethereal feel.
As with the very finest of her paintings, it is entirely intuitive, painted during a single session in which she never stepped back to look. When completed she simply walked away, such was her assuredness about its content and meaning. Few artists have painted the country as she has, with an ability to penetrate its very soul.
