Image: William Robinson AO, The Creation series (series of 5 paintings), 1988, oil on linen, 147.2 x 193cm (each). State Art Collection, Art Gallery of Western Australia. Purchased 1989
HOTA Gallery’s second major exhibition celebrates one of Australia’s greatest landscape painters, and living artists, William Robinson AO.
Step into the untamed and awe-inspiring Gold Coast hinterland, with landscape visions that enchant and inspire in unlikely ways as Robinson’s work transforms HOTA Gallery into a space of energy, vibrancy, and quiet power in an exploration of Lyrical Landscapes: The Art of William Robinson. Brisbane born and raised, in 1984 Robinson took up residence on a 208-acre farm on the western slopes of Beechmont in the Gold Coast hinterland. There, he would walk around and observe the surrounding sub-tropical rainforest, creating a time of reflection that revealed both the subtle pleasures and epic grace of the natural world around him.
William Robinson AO, Creation Landscape: Darkness and light (detail); Fire mountain landscape, 1988, oil on linen. State Art Collection, Art Gallery of Western Australia. Purchased 1989
These experiences inspired Robinson, a painter and pianist, to create monumental canvases that twisted Australian landscape painting in a thoroughly new direction. Embracing the majesty, power, and inescapable influence of nature, Robinson’s Creation series, formed over 16 years, have entangled and enchanted visitors for decades, and now come together at HOTA Gallery for the very first time. Combining his gift for painting and creation with his passion for classical music, our guest curator, Dame Quentin Bryce AD CVO invites you to experience the breath, rhythm and heartbeat of the Hinterland captured in his ground-breaking multi-panelled pieces. The exhibition and our accompanying program of events highlight Robinson’s spiritual connection to the natural world and deep fascination with the Queensland landscape. A journey for all, be swept into a new world, built with lighting, drifting classical music, and a richly curated gallery experience. Revel in the subtle pleasure, vibrating warmth, and overwhelming grace of the art of William Robinson.
Presented by HOTA, Home of the Arts, Queensland
31 July – 3 October