Ipaint large, gestural flower paintings, inspired by 17th-century Dutch still-life paintings. I love the Baroque space and swirling energy of these paintings as well as their metaphorical content: the passage of time, the co-existence of opposites: light coming out of darkness. The formal invention of these paintings is impressive: I admire the way they are constructed; early great abstract paintings, in which color and form move to the emotional demands of the painter... more

As clearly indicated by the show's title, "Tulip Mania: sex, love and Dutch flower paintings," the subject here is more than just roses (and tulips). . . In this body of work, [Cyr] rather ingeniously combines various fields of interest, including the timeless and symbolic allure of flowers in art, the stubborn influence of European art history, and not incidentally, this artist's own seductively confident way with painting. Oh, and sex. Sexuality works its way into the mix, . . . Cyr works in a flower painting genre more layered and bizarre than we'd expect. She savors the inherently fantastical designs found in tulips, as a visual maniac taking on the maniacal beauty found in nature... more

Josef Woodard Santa Barbara NEWS-PRESS