Hearman’s portrayal of light is a defining feature in her art and it is here that her technical virtuosity is given free reign. With the simple application of a few flicks of pure brushed paint, an eerie white light appears to emerge. But this light is strange, cold like a phosphorous flare. Disturblingly, it seems to emanate from within the figures, an independent light source divorced from that which falls on the surrounding environment. This contradiction heightens the physchological impact of Hearman’s vision and brings to mind the following lines from the Australian poet Kenneth Slessor: blank and bone-white, like a maniac’s thought, / The naptha-flash of lightening slit the sky, / Knifing the dark with deadly photographs...

—Andrew Gaynor (excerpt from Hello Darkness: the art of Louise Hearman, exhibition catalogue, Glen Eira Gallery, 2008, page 11)u200b

—
Louise Hearman is one of Australia's most prominent contemporary painters. In 2009 she was selected for the prestigious Clemenger Prize at the National Gallery of Victoria in Melbourne. In 2008 the Glen Eira City Council Gallery in Victoria mounted a survey exhibition of Louise’s work titled, Hello Darkness, The Art of Louise Hearman. Her work has appeared in a number of significant group exhibitions of contemporary Australian art including, ‘Wilderness, the inaugural Balnaves exhibition of contemporary painting’ at The Art Gallery of New South Wales, Sydney (2010), ‘Horror come Darkness’ at Macquarie University Art Gallery, Sydney (2009), ‘Fieldwork: Australian Art 1968 – 2002, National Gallery of Victoria at Federation Square in 2002 and ‘Uncommon World - Aspects of Contemporary Australian Art’ at the National Gallery of Australia in 2000. Hearman’s works are held in most major public collections in Australia and numerous private and corporate collections both in Australia and overseas. This is Louise Hearman’s third solo exhibition with Roslyn Oxley9 Gallery.