Finding endless inspiration in the natural world, and fascinated by our relationship to it, Philip Davey deepens his explorations of environmental and historical themes in his current exhibition, Landscapes real and imagined.
In his latest body of work, references to the Commonwealth and colonialism are abundant; in several works we see the quintessential British tea kettle paired with a cast of native Australian birds, in another white swans swim into frame while black swans are ushered away. The ‘Arrival – departure’ paintings and prints masterfully juxtapose the domestic cat and dog with extinct Australian wildlife; while all the animals are pictured sharing a raft, it is only the dog and cat, seated comfortably at the end of the boat, who are to survive through to present day.
As echoed by the exhibition title, many of Davey’s works portray the beauty of a current and familiar Australian landscape; rolling fields dotted with cows and shrubbery, while others present the artist’s imagined depictions of untamed landscapes of an Australia now past.
‘Landscapes real and imaged’ presents a visually rich and poignant body of work, including large-scale paintings, smaller oil studies, drypoint etchings, and Raku-fired ceramics.
Philip Davey, pictured in his studio Filmmaker Peter M Lamont, of Handmade Films, has created a short film focusing on …
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