Gilbert Grace, Slip Inn, 2012. Oil on cotton, 79x92cms.
Gilbert Grace, Savannah Eastlakes, 2012. Oil on cotton, 173x230cms.
Gilbert Grace, Hawthorne Canal, 2012. Oil on cotton, 79x92cms.
“John Kaldor said “There are millions of shades of green, not just one – appreciate colour! Look at a sunrise or sunset!” This recent body of work by Sydney-based artist Gilbert Grace explores our ability to extract hope and pleasure from our natural surroundings; from the temporal effects of light and shade falling on organic forms, to the fleeting and impermanent moment. Luminous captures the awe of being alive and of having the senses enlivened by natural phenomena – the sights, sounds and scents, and emotional triggers, memories, conversations and the passing of time. The images in this exhibition are of transitional, mostly riparian spaces, seen at a transitional time of day – from suburb to greenspace and from day to night. Rendered from photos taken by the artist over many years, these paintings and monoprints depict the Sydney Green Ring, an area of parkland and waterways woven throughout inner Sydney’s urban sprawl. Deliberately painted in a synthetic style, Grace’s aesthetic is informed by the British landscape painting tradition and early Australian colonial artists, many of whose works took these very locations as their subject. Also informed by an interest in environmental sustainability, Luminous is as much about investigating Sydney’s urban expansion and its impact on the environment as it is about engaging with the beauty of the world around us ” – Liz Nowell – curator, Gymea.
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