Andrew McIlroy’s Against the Tide
After a sell-out 2009 Sydney show, Andrew McIlroy’s forthcoming exhibition of 15 large oil paintings recall languid summer ocean waters and the techniques of the old masters.
Many of his works, notably Against the Tide and Azure Descent, are inspired by Tim Winton’s book Breath, as they hint at the promise of resurfacing to the familiar sounds of summer vacation and youthful exuberance. Partly autobiographical, McIlroy’s paintings recall long family summers, diving off the Portsea pier for hours, and of a familiar voice calling him home.
Andrew McIlroy creates these atmospheric works that investigate aquatic depths, with strong saturated colour and subtle tonal variations, imparting a dream-like quality and a sense of poetic mystery. On a deeper level that parallels Winton’s symbolism, McIlroy’s paintings also convey a sense of unease, with fear invoked by deep waters and the feeling of sinking into the abyss, a metaphor for anxieties which gripped the artist’s own childhood.
Andrew says, “I hope to make people pause for just a moment. My inspiration is simple. To create a beautiful contemporary painting which is familiar, tangible, and enduring. My struggle then is to capture ‘Australian-ness’ without reacting against European influences or composition”.
What:
Andrew McIlroy’s Against the Tide
When:
16th to 28th February 2010
Where:
Axia Modern Art, 1010 High Street, Armadale
Contact:
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Gallery hours:
Monday – Friday 9am to 5.30pm
Saturday – Sunday 11am to 5.00pm
Tags: Against the Tide , Andrew McIlroy , Andrew McIlroy’s Against the Tide , australian art , Axia Modern Art , Tim Winton