There’s a remarkable amount of colour in Jo Bertini’s portrait of her mother, Anne Ferguson. The soft pinks, reds and yellows are surprising because the subject is a sombre one. Anne is suffering from dementia, with all the ravages that entails. Not long ago she was a sculptor of some distinction, but the disease has taken away her ability to work.
Bertini’s statement describes the discussions about art she still manages to have with her mother, which seem more precious because they are moments of lucidity snatched from the encroaching fog. There’s a desperate sadness in Anne’s face but the painting is radiant, the warmth of the palette reflecting a daughter’s love for her mum. There’s nothing else in the exhibition that’s so heartfelt, so genuinely touching.
