In the following interview, Wayne Viney reflects upon his recent exhibition at Australian Galleries, The Lake and the Sea. The interview provides interesting insight into Wayne’s different approaches to his current landscape practice.
“The Lake Charm series derives from a specific place, Lake Charm, which is a large fresh water lake near Kerang in north-east Victoria. I always saw the Lake Charm series in terms of a low horizon with a band of trees reflected in water, a relatively static image. The landscape is flat, almost featureless, which then draws the eye to the vastness of the sky. For me, the drama of this landscape takes place in the skies above. I relished the opportunity to create these rather dramatic effects. I thought of the landscape below as timeless and unchanging, while above, clouds pass, storms come and go and the seasons change – the transience of nature. This notion of the romantic landscape is something I’ve always been drawn to, working with the elements of sky, water and land.
The Sea and Sky works continue my practice of simplifying the landscape, working within a simple geometric format to explore the nuances of colour. In contrast to the Lake Charm series these works are wholly imagined. I am seeking to find a balance between figuration and abstraction, tension and calm, light and darkness. Colour is used to allow the viewer to experience the image at a deep intuitive level. The series is about the sea and the sky, the place where the sky and land, and land and water converge.
Despite this differing approach both bodies of work are essentially trying to evoke a response to nature, specifically the changing weather, the passing of time, light and dark.”
To read the full interview, click here.
Image above: Wayne Viney Evening light I 2019 monotype 45 x 55.5 cm