Bather

Description

510mm x 380mm

AN ESTABLISHED CONTEMPORARY ARTIST, GRAHAM HAS DEVELOPED A LARGE FOLLOWING OF DISCERNING ART LOVERS IN THE BAY OF PLENTY. A MASTER CRAFTSMAN WITH A DEDICATED, LIFE-LONG PASSION FOR ART, GRAHAM HAS A BACKGROUND IN LIFE DRAWING AND PORTRAITURE. FROM HIS STUDIO OVERLOOKING THE RANGATAUA ESTUARY, SURROUNDED BY NATIVE BUSH, GRAHAM CREATES WORKS THAT RESPOND TO HIS ENVIRONMENT. DAILY WALKS WITH HIS TWO JACK RUSSELL TERRIERS AROUND THE ESTUARY HELP HIM GATHER IDEAS FROM THE PATTERNS AND RHYTHMS OF NATURE.

CONTINUALLY EVOLVING IN HIS ARTISTIC PRACTICE, GRAHAM PUSHES THE BOUNDARIES WITH INNOVATIVE TECHNIQUES AND NEW MATERIALS. A SKILLED COLOURIST, NO PAINT IS EVER USED DIRECTLY FROM THE TUBE. INSTEAD, COLOURS ARE PAINSTAKINGLY MIXED AND TESTED UNTIL THE PERFECT SHADE IS ACHIEVED. IN A SIMILAR FASHION, TEXTURAL MEDIUMS ARE CONCOCTED FROM A MIXTURE OF STORE BOUGHT PRODUCTS AND HIS OWN SECRET INGREDIENTS. WITH THESE RECIPES GRAHAM CREATES TEXTURED SURFACES THAT ARE DRAMATIC IN SOME LIGHTS, AND SUBTLE IN OTHERS. HIS USE OF LUMINESCENT PIGMENT GIVES HIS WORKS AN OTHERWORLDLY QUALITY. THOUGH THESE WORKS EXIST ON THEIR OWN AS NON-OBJECTIVE WORKS OF FORMAL ABSTRACTION, THIS SERIES ‘SHIFT’ USES PEARLESCENT TONES IN A RANGE OF COLOURS THAT SEEM TO REFERENCE LIGHT ON THE SURFACE OF WATER.