On entering Niall Campbell's studio this is the first image to greet you from the far end of the converted shed. The painting is entitled "Pain" and is 6ft by 4ft. The photograph in no way does justice to this painting.....you have to see it to appreciate not only the size, the colours and how the pigments have behaved on the canvas but also to get a sense of the depth of feeling the painting projects. I immediately identified with the image. We respond in different ways often as a result of events going on in our lives at the time. It made me think of the destruction that can take place in the brain as a result of dementia and the pain this brings to families. The painting has a "neural" feel ....like a network of paths made by nerves and synapses. The white area could represent a stimulus, the dark area a black hole. Yet there is a beauty to the image, particularly where the pigments have been allowed to mingle together to produce their own patterns which gives comfort to the viewer. I didn't feel sad. I felt a connection with the painting.
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