The edge of chaos

A solo exhibition by Ilsa Brittain curated by Berfin Cicek. ‘The edge of chaos’ is a term that was first coined by an American chaos theory physicist Norman Packard in 1988, and then more widely adopted to refer to the sweet spot between rigid predictability and random chaos, where creativity and complex possibilities emerge. We live in a world of complex systems - emotional, economic, political, cultural, climatic etc. Ilsa Brittain’s works make visible the pulls and pushes and tangle of possibilities we navigate, and the aliveness and connectedness of our experiences. Using acrylics and mediums, the works are slowly built in microscopic detail, using multiple layers of opaque mark making held in transparent films, creating depth, complexity, and tangible forms that feel suspended below a glass like reflective surface. Moving from the realm of 2D illusions that are mentally consumed, Ilsa’s practice has pushed into the 3D realm where objects exist in space and ideas and actual form meet. Throughout the works the details pull the viewer in to consider small moments or pan out to consider the wider reality. There is no finite boundary between any point of view, a continuous connection exists between all the parts, nothing is in isolation or absolute separation, everything is connected.

Hero Image: Detail | The Parameters of Choosing 2025  Acrylic and mediums on canvas over panel 120x150cm