Brett Colquhoun

Brett Colquhoun
Australian, born 1958

Spring  2018
synthetic polymer paint on canvas
Geelong Gallery
Purchased through the John Norman Mann Bequest Fund and with funds generously provided by the Robert Salzer Foundation Acquisition Fund, 2018

Composed as though the artist was gazing through a precarious matrix to a still and verdant space, Spring is representative of Brett Colquhoun’s observant and experiential approach to landscape painting.

The delicate abstract forms that partially obscure the natural setting act as a metaphorical tool, providing a sense of continuation between the three canvases as well as ensnaring the viewer within the artwork. Colquhoun’s paintings are recognised for the enigmatic, subtle manner in which absence and presence are suggested. Here, the absence of activity is contrasted by the introduction of intervening forms, which introduce a sense of trepidation and anticipation to an otherwise serene outlook.