DATES (extended)
Exhibition dates: Jul 15 – Aug 23, 2021
Official closing: TBA

En plein air’ or plein air painting refers to the act of painting outdoors – a technique that has both the artist and subject at the whim of the elements. Variables that the artist can traditionally control such as light, movement and colour, suddenly become an unpredictable and thrilling challenge. Warren Cooke and Evan Salmon have both embraced the method, immersing themselves in their environment to create works driven by a nostalgia for place and that reflect a practice of persistent, and patient, looking.

Salmon’s, gnarly tree trunks and lush plots of Australian bush landscape are painted and drawn with a warmth; each composition unique in how it chooses to frame its subject and in the experience that it creates for its viewer. With some works, we’re within a mere arm’s length of a branch – able to see each fissure and bump –  and yet with others, it’s distance that captivates; a stretch of disappearing road; a scape of hills and paddocks. With Cooke, there’s an added layer of complexity to his compositions. Working from the water, he literally immerses his viewer within the landscape, creating an illusion of