OPENING NIGHT – Tuesday, 4 March 2025 6pm – 8pm
Rodney and Glenn have both enjoyed each other’s narrative paintings for a good number of years and thought that an exhibition of their works together would be both interesting and lively.
“We met in a pub in Fitzroy and we came up with a title, LIFE. We agreed on a size, 9 by 5 inches and off we went. Rodney pitched the show to Stuart, who kindly agreed and off we went back to our studios.
Bloody hell, what will I make a body of work about?
At the start the 9 x 5 size didn’t work for me, so I moved to approximately A4 size and I decided not to worry about having a grand idea but just use any idea that comes into this old brain of mine. Due to the works being small in scale, I could get an idea from the news etcetera and have it made quickly. This was such fun. The ideas flowed and the work just rolled off the brush. To me the works seem fresh and full of spirit – well I hope they are anyway.”
– Glenn Morgan 2025
“I first became a big fan of Glenn Morgan’s work when I saw a suite of his majestic bushfire paintings at Tarrawarra Gallery. I admire the humility and open-heartedness of Glenn’s work and also his use of humour and text.
A few years ago we did a painting swap which actually lead to this collaborative exhibition. No sooner had we confirmed the exhibition, I broke my leg, and this made necessary a complete reorganization of my studio setup, as well as a lot of hopping. The agreed small format helped the process of painting with one leg offline and I think the immersion in painting helped my healing process and averted the boredom of immobility. This is my first stab at the 9 x 5-inch format pioneered by the Heidelberg painters (on cigar box lids), and I loved it. A new grandson appeared during the lead up to the show and this was also a saving grace.
We are both regionally-based painters, from opposite ends of Victoria, both spending more time in Melbourne recently. And both commenting on LIFE in general.”
– Rodney Forbes 2025
