Sydney artist Simon Fieldhouse is highly celebrated for his intricate, architectural renderings of distinguished buildings, monuments and cityscapes. His exhibition of new works, Daedalus – Aerial views over Sydney takes its name from the Greek mythological character Daedalus, father of Icarus and god of flight.
Daedelus is significant to Fieldhouse for several reasons. A highly skilled craftsman and artist, Daedalus constructed a pair of wings for Icarus, both encouraging his son to soar and cautioning him not to fly too high. Fieldhouse feels a connection to Daedalus’ devotion to his craft and his wise, measured approach to living; traits he feels are aligned with his own life and artistic practice.
In this series of works, Fieldhouse, like Daedalus, has lifted his perspective to the skies, for the first time recreating familiar Sydney landmarks from an aerial viewpoint. Having purchased a ‘DJI Phantom 3 Professional’ drone some months ago, Fieldhouse has since spent countless hours photographing his familiar and cherished Sydney Harbour from a completely new angle, some 100 – 200 metres above the traditional vanishing point.
The resulting paintings are brimming with energy and life. Fieldhouse shows us the Sydney Opera House, the Harbour Bridge, Clovelly beach and many more iconic locations through fresh, elevated eyes. His works are meticulous in line and remarkably precise and share with the viewe renewed excitement and fondness for his familiar muse, Sydney.
Simon Fieldhouse has exhibited extensively in Australia and his work is represented in numerous private and public collections including Parliament House, Tasmania; the Federal Court of Australia, Sydney; the State Libraries of New South Wales, Queensland and South Australia; the University of Sydney, Sydney and the Supreme Court of New South Wales, Sydney.
Daedalus – Aerial views over Sydney is available to view online:
http://www.australiangalleries.com.au/exhibitions/daedalus-aerial-views-over-sydney/