Melbourne, 8 Feb 2022 — 26 Feb 2022

35 Derby Street [PO Box 1183], Collingwood 3066

Colonial Infamy – Buckley & Pearce
- Philip Davey

Philip Davey elegantly interweaves concepts and physical elements from the works of Colonial artists into his own landscape paintings, which have been developed and refined throughout his many years as an en plein air painter.

Philip Davey’s new exhibition Colonial Infamy – Buckley & Pearce continues Davey‘s explorations into themes of place, time, discovery and loss, as well as a poignant reflection on human nature.

This exhibition presents a series of evocative works on paper in oil stick and ceramics inspired by the novel For the term of his natural life, alongside new paintings abundant with colour and life.

‘Both the works on paper and the sculptures have a tactile presence. They are like artefacts, almost, of the period they describe. In the ceramics, this is partly due to the antiquity of their process of creation. Nonetheless, if the use of ceramics draws on a long tradition of artistic cultural expression, representing a narrative in ceramic sculpture is innovative in the Australian context. And this, for author Marcus Clarke, would have been important. For him, the Australian landscape had a poetry only its own, ‘the strange Scribblings of Nature learning to write.’ Thus what Clarke called ‘the subtle charm of this fantastic land of monstrosities’ became the heart of his own novel, and, some hundred and forty years later, the core of Philip Davey‘s reflection upon it.’ – Eleanor Davey, PhD, 2012.

Philip Davey
Painter, ceramicist, draughtsman and printmaker Philip Davey was born in England, arriving in Australia in …
View Profile

In Blog

For the Love of Trees – Burrinja’s creative response to the devastating June storm event

Image above: Mary Tonkin  After, Kalorama  2021  oil on linen  183 x 320 cm We are delighted to share this …

Read More

Rosalind Atkins, Philip Davey, David Frazer and Mary Tonkin – The Big Tree and Other Landscapes From the Whitehorse Art Collection

Image above: Mary Tonkin  Crack, Kalorama  2012  oil on linen  62 x 68 cm Featuring a selection of artworks from …

Read More

HOLDING GROUND #savearthursseat

The work of 76 leading contemporary artists comes together in HOLDING GROUND, an online art exhibition fundraiser to help stop …

Read More

Salvatore Zofrea – In Collaboration with 3:33 Art Projects

Image above:  Days of Summer  2008-23  hand-coloured woodcut with lapis lazuli on paper  edition unique  44 x 59 cm “…I was …

Read More

Simon Normand – Commissioned to paint map of Roper River

In the Arnhem Land community of Ngukurr, elder Clarry Rogers is worried plans to allocate water to new gas fracking and …

Read More

Marina Strocchi’s Paintings and Prints at the Melbourne Italian Festa

This beautiful painting from Marina Strocchi‘s current exhibition, The vineyards of Madden’s Lane was one of a selection of the …

Read More

Vicki Varvaressos – currently exhibited at the Art Gallery of New South Wales

Image above: Still Life: West Australian gum blossoms  1985  synthetic polymer paint on hardboard  122.7 x 91.5 cm Vicki Varvaressos, …

Read More

John Wolseley in ‘Essays on Earth’ Exhibition – Bendigo Art Gallery

John Wolseley  The life of inland waters – Durabudboi river  (detail) 2015 – 2018 watercolour, graphite and woodcut on paper …

Read More

Whereabouts: Printmakers Respond – Group Exhibition Curated by Rona Green

Image above: Rona Green  Petal  2023  hand coloured linocut  edition 57   38 x 28 cm Photography by Tim Gresham Printmaker …

Read More

Vale Kevin Mortensen (1939-2023)

Image above: Kevin Mortensen and Stuart Purves at Australian Galleries Melbourne, 2016 All at Australian Galleries are deeply saddened to …

Read More

The Victorian Forest Alliance Art Auction

Image above: Sue Anderson  Swift  2022  multi coloured lithograph  edition 12, 59 x 42cm  unframed The Victorian Forest Alliance recently held …

Read More

Camie Lyons – Trenery Artist Series

Congratulations to Camie Lyons on her latest commission of sculptures and works on paper for the Trenery flagship store in …

Read More

Michelle Hiscock and Jenny Rodgerson – Finalists in the 2023 Portia Geach Memorial Award

Image: Jenny Rodgerson  Self portrait with mudras  2023  oil on linen  165 x 107 cm Congratulations to Michelle Hiscock and …

Read More