Natalie Dower works in the knowledge that the growth of every living thing is governed by mathematical rules. Connected to the British Systems artists, Dower works to this knowledge, creating paintings that are free from overt references to the creator, or to the external world, and makes works that are solely derived from her own invented, predetermined systems. Dower aims to produce paintings that attract and hold the attention of the viewer, with the underlying concept or system being at the core of their creation.
The founding art collection of the University of Warwick was a group of abstract, colourfield paintings from 1965 and 1966, and ever since abstract painting has remained a constant focus. Dower’s work Red Flyer has a very precise resonance with the Mead Gallery as it featured in the exhibition Countervail at the gallery in 1993. Countervail was a series of three exhibitions that examined abstract painting by women and focused on work that was a response to systems. Work by both Susan Tebby and Jean Spencer, who also featured, can also be found in the collection.
