About The Exhibition

Waterlilies

Byron Shire and Northern New South Wales teem with natural wonders of ocean and coast, mystic mountains, glorious rainforest  and some great  cafes. And so it was at one of those cafes, earlier this year,  whilst my wife and I sat sipping coffee I was floored by a scintillating display of waterlilies floating in a large clay pot. Immediately I envisioned a new body of work for my upcoming exhibition. I think I can say my Waterlilies are like no others, they are without doubt products of a fertile imagination they have remained  an important part of my oeuvre for years. This  body of work, however, inspired by the tiny clay pot of lilies was going to be very different……Umpteen drums of paint and broad pallet knives have been used to bring my idea to fruition,  a thick impasto  mixed and blended on canvas  creating  lushness between the heavy water ,the plants and, of course, the  figures; the essence of my work.

Ballerinas 

At the beginning of the year I spent time In Ireland, northern England and in Paris where some time was spent researching for a commission celebrating the Year of Prayer which I’d undertaken for Brisbane Catholic Education. Thus, once again I enjoyed visiting the wonderful galleries and attending a couple of ballet performances. This has been the inspiration for my new ballerinas in this show. The works mostly shows the figures interacting in massed in groups and limbering up behind the scenes. 

Girls in White on Red

This first appeared in Brisbane in a solo exhibition entitled Red. The colour red is symbolic of central Australia whilst the figures in white are symbolic of the beauty and innocence of the children. 

It’s always intriguing to revisit a series and note the differences from the earlier works to the most recent especially in this dynamic series. 

Enjoy

John Maitland 

To secure one of these works, come in and see us, call us on (+612) 9223-1700 or email.