. ▁Report ing ▁on ▁this ▁show , ▁a ▁New ▁York ▁critic ▁said ▁" The ▁things ▁and ▁figures ▁in ▁her ▁painting ▁grav ely ▁turn ▁about ▁as ▁if ▁in ▁some ▁slow ▁and ▁harm on ious ▁joy . ▁Not ▁a ▁h il ari ous ▁joy ▁nor ▁a ▁country ▁dance . ▁Something ▁much ▁rich er ▁and ▁more ▁cont empl ative ▁than ▁h ilar ity ." ▁At ▁this ▁time ▁she ▁wrote ▁to ▁her ▁brother ▁Jack ▁" For ▁the ▁first ▁time ▁in ▁my ▁life ▁I ' m ▁convinced ▁that ▁I ▁am ▁really ▁an ▁artist ." ▁ ▁In ▁ 1 9 3 5 ▁B ial a ▁was ▁given ▁her ▁first ▁solo ▁exhibition ▁when ▁" Paint ings ▁of ▁Prov ence ▁by ▁B ial a " ▁appeared ▁at ▁the ▁Ge or get te ▁Pass ed oit ▁Gallery , ▁New ▁York , ▁from ▁April ▁ 2 5 ▁to ▁May ▁ 9 . ▁The ▁paint ings ▁came ▁from ▁illustr ations ▁she ▁prepared ▁for ▁Ford ' s ▁book , ▁Prov ence : ▁From ▁M inst rel s ▁to ▁the ▁Machine . ▁ ▁M ature ▁style ▁ ▁Al ong ▁with ▁Dick inson , ▁Ford ▁helped ▁shape ▁B ial a ' s ▁a est h etic ▁vision ▁by ▁encourag ing ▁her ▁spirit ▁of ▁experiment ation , ▁dev otion ▁to ▁cre ative ▁freedom , ▁and ▁the ▁seeking ▁of ▁po etic ▁truth ▁in ▁preference ▁to ▁literal ▁facts . ▁From ▁both ▁men ▁she ▁absor bed ▁a ▁passion ▁for ▁elimin ating ▁unnecessary ▁detail . ▁Dick inson ▁emphas ized ▁areas ▁of ▁color , ▁which ▁he ▁called ▁" sp ots ," ▁as ▁the