Galah's art editor Fiona Bateman cherrypicks new works by Australian contemporary artists.
Lett’s materials really set him apart. Oil paint, gesso and marble dust stretch across these aluminium composite panels to create the most mesmerising movement, and his use of colour leads us in unexpected ways around the work. “The brushstrokes of colour reflect upon Einstein’s thought experiment,” says Lett, “considering what it would be like to ride alongside a beam of light.”
@belemlett @edwinacorlette @jamesmakingallery
Fire (2023), oil, gesso, marble dust on aluminium composite pane, 56 x 48 cm
Body and landscape are central to Abraham’s painting, where we see the romantic pastoral portrait being reimagined by this artist living and working in Tasmania. Each work seems bursting with life and a darker seductive force that may be attributed to Abraham applying much of the details with her hands.
@minminmarion @sullivanstrumpf
No, Just Resting (2023), oil on linen, 106 x 97 cm
Using layers of hatching and generously applied paint, O’Connor creates a woven impression in this beautiful work in which structures and forms may be glimpsed yet disappear before we can fully register them. Growing up in Kangaroo Valley, O’Connor paints her perceptions of place and the tensions that arise between the wilderness and the built environment.
@laurenoconnor_studio @arthousegallery
Rock fig (ili) bent sideways and still growing (2023), acrylic on board, 92.5 x 123.5 cm
In her latest exhibition at Daine Singer Gallery, entitled Karrap Karrap Beenyak – Flower Baskets of Knowledge, Gilson paints dilly bags and baskets containing indigenous plants used for healing and food, reclaiming her cultural knowledge while also creating something new. “The banksia was used for small spears and fire lights,” writes the artist. “The nectar is a healing plant for cuts and abrasions.”
Before Joseph Banks, Our Baskets and Plants Held Sacred Knowledge, Coastal Banksia (2023), 22-carat gold leaf, acrylic, charcoal on canvas, 40 x 30 cm
Living in Milikapiti on Melville Island, Bush paints in three colours of natural pigment, creating a striking command of his subjects through this concise palette. Bush mixes Catholic and Tiwi Island imagery to reflect a contemporary indigenous identity. “For both my Tiwi people and my global family I want culture to be strong,” he says. “Without culture we are all lost ... I hold the Western and Aboriginal law in my hands for all mankind to be equal.”
The Stolen Generation (2023), locally sourced earth pigments on linen, 150 x 150 cm
From the outback to Sydney’s northern beaches and, more recently, from Sicily to Thailand, Seabrook presents dreamy landscapes that are less a literal interpretation of place and more a personal representation of the world as she sees it. Mixing motifs from these places, Seabrook creates a mysterious world all of its own.
Nimphaea Queen Sirikit (2023), acrylic on canvas, 107 x 92 cm
I just love it when patterned fabric is depicted in a still life. The minute I saw Nielsen’s latest body of work at Nanda Hobbs Gallery I knew I had found a new favourite. Pattern and form are layered in still-life scenes that, while full of life and vibrant colour, retain a sense of calm contemplation.
Two Lemons with Kangaroo Paw (2023), oil on linen, 50 x 60 cm
We love a bird painting here at Galah and these vital, joyful works are another beautiful example of our native bird life. McDonald is a Papunya woman and her recent exhibition was dedicated solely to the red-tailed black cockatoo in flight around Uttumpatu and Haasts Bluff, also known as Ikuntji, in the Central Desert of the Northern Territory.
Red Gums (2023), acrylic on canvas, 63 x 70 cm
If you'd like to get in touch with Galah's art editor Fiona Bateman, find her over on @fionabatemanart
