Synergy In Jessica Milroy

Synergy is defined as “the interaction or cooperation of two or more organizations, substances, or other agents to produce a combined effect greater than the sum of their separate effects.” ("the definition of synergy", 2018) The notion of synergy is taught, conspicuous and evident in all aspects of society including: fashion, leadership, design, business and mathematics. Stephen Covey once said, “difference is the beginning of synergy.” (“Synergy Quotes, 2018) Particularly, art is a powerful medium in which synergy is prominent. A unity of different mediums, and materials or a a collection of works poses as a far more enthralling synthesis of art. Whilst there are many artists, both contemporary and traditional, whose work shows evidence of
Milroy first gained recognition in the 80s, with her paintings of inanimate objects. Her work resembles that of Andy Warhol’s ‘Shoes”, however, as opposed to highlighting consumerism her work has been described by art critic, Jessica Lack as the “nerdy compulsiveness of a collector.” (Lack, 2018) One of Milroy’s well known works, ‘Shoes’ produced in 1985, shows polished black kitten heels perfectly placed using oil on canvas. ("Shoes by Lisa Milroy", 2018) “One key painting for me is Shoes, 1986 - twelve pairs of black court shoes composed in a grid and now in the Tate Collection. The single black shoe has followed me over the years, appearing in numerous paintings and different contexts,” says Milroy in an interview ("Spotlight on Lisa Milroy", 2018). The piece shows 12 pairs of heels, arranged in three horizontal lines. The systematic placement of each couple of shoes creates a unity between each shoe with interesting variance of the profiles of each pair. Shadows and contour of light and dark shades create a three dimensional appearance, despite its realistic proportions. “In all her object paintings, Milroy presents things in their most characteristic profile, side on or from above, depending on the objects concerned.” ("‘Shoes’, Lisa Milroy, 1985 | Tate") The tonal values of the colours contrast from dark to light to create the illusion of shadows and highlights using the whites, navy, black and neutrals. Because of the emphasis of repetition in ‘Shoes’, there is a satisfying balance. It is this concept, that an assembly of Lisa Milroy’s high heels are far more significant as a combination of shoes rather than single pairs. As opposed to Dale Frank, Lisa Milroy strategically focuses on quantity, rather than a layering of many materials. We see this trend continue in her works such as: ‘Melons, 1986’, ‘Fruits and Vegetables, 1990’, ‘Records, 1987’ and