“The fact – and this will seem to many unbelievable – that his paintings by no means equaled his superb engravings did a lot to damage his reputation.”[1] Constantijn Huygens, 1630 The term ‘virtuosity’ rarely fails to surface when discussing the graphic oeuvre of Dutch artist Hendrick Goltzius (1558-1617). Praised for his sheer technical brilliance, … Continue reading
“The artist produces scenes that are like sheets of stone, whether these be jagged cliff faces or crumbling stone structures. Ostensibly revealing broad vistas, Segers’ landscapes instead form a stony wall of impenetrable material, confounding view with picture plane. The viewer is not meant to enter these spaces.”[1] And yet enter we do, into Segers’ … Continue reading
Jon Eiseman Other Realities at Flinders Lane Gallery, 137 Flinders Lane Melbourne, Australia. 15th July – 2nd August 2014 This exhibition of recent sculptural work by Jon Eiseman and related photographic collaborations with Anne Conron, frequently employs the image of a solitary man, suitcase in hand, set upon a journey through strangely dreamlike surrounds. Here the representation of a … Continue reading
Baccio Baldini (c.1436–1487) is the elusive artist to whom these astrologically inspired engravings, created around 1464, are attributed. Titled The Planets, this series of seven prints reflect prevailing systems of knowledge that during the 15th century governed the way people viewed the world around them. Specifically, they refer to the Ptolemaic concept of the universe where … Continue reading
Published in the University of Melbourne Collections, Issue 14, June 2014, pp. 46 – 50 Recently I had the opportunity to conduct in-depth research on an old master drawing from the J. Orde Poynton Collection, housed in the Baillieu Library at the University of Melbourne (illustrated below). The focus of that 12-week research project was … Continue reading
Catalogue essay from a solo exhibition by LUKE SCIBERRAS, titled Under a high desert wind, which was exhibited at James Makin Gallery, Melbourne 4-27 March, 2010 In September of 2008 Luke Sciberras travelled to the Flinders Ranges in South Australia, on an art making expedition that was to irrevocably alter the way he engages with … Continue reading
Catalogue Essay from the Waldemar Kolbusz solo exhibition, New Works, 1 – 19 April, 2014 at Flinders Lane Gallery, Melbourne. Looking at the work of Waldemar Kolbusz and one can sense that here the act of painting engenders pictorial discovery. Process becomes adventure as in the spirit of abstract expressionism, he abandons ties to … Continue reading
Catalogue essay from Melbourne based artist Melinda Schawel’s new exhibition, Traverse April 4th – May 18th, 2014, Artspace Mackay, QLD Australia Melinda Schawel has always been drawn to the physicality of creative process, and allowed the non-rational act of making to guide the development of her atmospheric imagery. Previously this affinity for process has led her to … Continue reading
There is something in the simplicity of the invitation, play with me, that perfectly conveys the spirit of aesthetic discovery and lack of pretense within this series of works by emerging artist Cassandra Rijs. Currently completing a Bachelor of Fine Arts at the Victorian College of the Arts, what Rijs sets out to play with … Continue reading
Catalogue Essay for Susan Baird’s forthcoming solo exhibition “Landscape and Light” to be held at Flinders Lane Gallery, Melbourne, 11 – 29, March, 2014 Susan Baird first visited the gold-rush era town of Hill End in 2006, and was immediately captivated by what she refers to as a “landscape of imagination.” This small town scattered … Continue reading
Visual Pursuits 