OPENING NIGHT Tuesday 1 July 6pm to 8pm
Meet the Artist Saturday 5 July 3pm
Walker was born in New Zealand before moving to Australia with his family in 1965 when he was 12 years old. “As I get older, those early days in New Zealand have come to mean a lot more to me.” He pulls out a painting, The guardian, and the wood pigeon, and hangs it on a couple of the nails that are hammered grid like into the white bagged brick wall.
“Recently I’ve been reminiscing about those early years in Auckland and in particular, a bush-reserve near my home, called Dingle Dell. I often went there with my dog to explore the narrow tracks that networked the reserve under its dark canopy. In my memory it was a mysterious place and seemed to be inhabited by spirits.” An iridescent blue bird, a Kererū, flies out of the top of the painting, while a brooding carved Tiki-like figure stands guard over the forest below.
Nevertheless, Walker says his paintings “are not specific places, they might start off describing a hill in Tasmania or a recollected landscape in New Zealand, but during the painting process these specific references become more unclear; my interest is much more in eliciting a feeling, a fantastical, dream like world.”
– essay excerpt by Guy Abrahams, May 2025
Read exhibition essay
View exhibition catalogue
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“Thornton is cultured, intelligent and can really paint! An astute observer who can bring something most exciting to a subject that captures his attention. His eyes and sharpness extract qualities of the chosen subject in front of him. For instance, he can make a laid out still life, be very much alive, along with revealing the tension of the outside world. All these abilities are clear in his exhibition ‘Landscapes for uncertain times.”
– Stuart Purves AM, June 2025
Image above: Belynda Henry Long distance (Mulloon Creek) Oil and wax on canvas 112 x 167 cm Congratulations to Belynda …
Image above: Orest Keywan That Line 2023 steel 168 x 271 x 190cm Congratulations to Orest Keywan, Michael Snape and …
Image above: Andrew Antoniou Weird & Wonderful 2024 charcoal on paper 82 x 88 cm Congratulations to Andrew Antoniou who …