From Sharne W0lff…
Chris Langlois’ paintings remind us why walking on the beach on a cold winter’s day feels so different to being in the same place in summer. Instead of heading for a refreshing dip it’s possible to absorb the majesty of this place – our sublime coastal landscape and a seemingly never-ending horizon. Weather Systems displays the latest work from the artist following last year’s survey exhibition Points in Time. Here Langlois draws us to the edge of a world, a point beyond which we’re able to see.
Employing a Richteresque technique, Langlois generally uses photographs as a basis for his paintings. Despite some familiar Australian scenes, these are not paintings of things or particular landscapes as much as they are works that require the viewer to become thoroughly engaged with the act of painting. Using various styles and a relatively limited palette, Langlois’ seduces the viewer. His romantic canvases, which here include both seascapes and outback landscapes, feature a range of gestural brushwork and characteristic ‘blurring’. Langlois is also a master at creating depth by layering translucent over opaque and his skill as a painter lies in finding a blend of tones which reveal the optimum amount of light in every piece.
Until September 7
Olsen Irwin Gallery, Woollahra
Pic: Chris Langlois Weather System (Riverina) no. 62014, © oil on linen ?153 x 213cm. Courtesy the artist and Olsen Irwin Gallery
