Exhibition Review.

Event: 7-21 February, 2019

Talented Artists Portray the Painters that Inspire Them

A Portrait of a Painter is a new group exhibition showing at Off the Kerb Gallery. It brings together an incredible line up of artists who were invited to portray a painter who inspires them. It could be a painter from history, or a contemporary painter, however the subject must work solely as a painter, working in oils, watercolour, gouache, acrylic, ink or aerosol…

Contemporary figurative artist Robyn Grove has chosen Japanese artist Jun Inoue as her muse and uses Michael Harding oil paints and mediums in this piece. Robyn has had a long-standing love affair with Japan, as many things about the culture inspire her, particularly calligraphy and ikebana. Furthermore the Japanese arts influence Robyn’s own work including her use of decorative patterned backgrounds.

In this exhibition, Robyn’s piece is a tribute to Jun Inoue, a street artist but who also paints murals at live paint events and creates images for bespoke fashion labels.

His artwork inspires Robyn in many ways. She explains further, “As an artist, Jun bridges the old and the new – the traditional values and arts of Japan mixed with street art and graffiti movements. His works have an incredible fluidity, with brushstrokes that speak of his calligraphy roots; only he paints with mops and huge brushes, paint pens and water spray. I’ve seen many of Jun’s works displayed here in Melbourne and have witnessed his incredible live painting nights. When Jun paints, he stands before a huge white canvas, music pumping. He meditates on the canvas and starts to move in sync with the beat. He begins to create his brushstrokes in the air, then moves to the canvas and commits them in ink. It’s highly contemplative and peaceful, but at the same time fast and powerful. I’ve never seen anyone paint with such intensity and beauty.”

Robyn appreciates the formality and the beauty of Japanese art which looks so natural and spontaneous even though it’s actually produced from deep contemplation and meditation, and has combined these qualities in her portrait of Jun – he’s still and dignified, honest and open, while the contrasting background references his dynamic and fluid style of mural painting.

A Portrait of a Painter will commence at Off the Kerb Gallery on 7th February 2019 and will run until 21st February 2019. It will be shown in the Front and Back Galleries.

Opening night is on Friday 8th February 2019, from 6pm – 9pm.

Off the Kerb Gallery is located at 66B Johnston Street Collingwood. The Gallery is open on Thursdays and Fridays from 12.30pm – 6pm and on Saturdays and Sundays from 12 noon – 5pm.

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