Throughout much of the 1970s I had been developing painting ideas in an abstract mode, where I used colour in an emotional and expressive manner. These works used mainly large more fluid colour expanses that were punctuated with various colour notes and chords around the idea of the landscape and the sea; but only as a very loose reference.
Exuberance and excitement of each aspect was like improvisation in jazz music. In an exhibition at the Warehouse Gallery (now closed) in Melbourne in 1977 my whole show had jazz titles: Be Bop, Riff, Jam session, Homage to Birdie, Ellington, and Basie, to name some. The opening of the exhibition featured a jazz trio and I ‘sat in’ and played my saxophone.
A major aspect of many of these paintings during this period was a compositional idea of ‘the empty centre’, where various painterly marks hugged the edges of the paintings, holding other colours and forms ‘in check’ to create some form of tension across the paintings’ surfaces.
Stuart Gerstman Galleries, Melbourne. 14th October – 1st November 1974.
Collectors Gallery, Perth. September 1976.
Warehouse Gallery, Melbourne. ( with Jazz trio and performance at the opening) 7th June – 24th June.
Gallery 52, Perth. 21st August – 7th September 1980.
For Jevan 1975 Oil on Linen 244 x 183 cms Private Collection
Expanding Blue (Diptych) 1973 Oil on Canvas 244 x 366 cms Monash University coll.
Be Bop 1976 Oil on Canvas 137 x 122 cms
Grey Space 1978 Oil on Linen 244 x 206 cms
Composition 1976 Oil on Canvas 152 x 122 cms
Orange with Black Mark 1975 Oil on Canvas 183 x 152 cms
Basie 1978 Oil on Linen 206 x 305 cms
Summer’s Over 1978 Oil on Linen 152 x 122 cms
Homage to Birdie 1977 Oil on Linen 91 x 152 cms Private Collection
Heyendah 1975 Oil on Linen 168 x 312.5 cms
Jam Session 1977 Oil on Linen 152 x 122 cms
Shadow 1978 Oil on Linen 244 x 183 cms Private Collection
Sandringham 1978 oil on linen 168x122cms
Morgana 1977 Oil on Canvas 106.5 x 91 cms
Ellington 1977 Oil on Linen 206 x 366 cms
Blues for Ella 1977 Oil on Linen 169x183cms
Sandringham 1979 acrylic on linen 244x206cms. Collection: Southern Health.
Expanding Blue No.2 1973 Oil on Linen 137 x 213 cmsPrivate Collection
Zwang 1975 Oil on Linen 198 x 259cm Private Collection.
SYNCOPATION 1977 Oil on Linen 112 x 91cms Private Collection
Theolonius M 1977 Oil on Linen 112 x 91cms Private Collection
Slow Shift 1975 Oil on Linen 198x259cms Private Collection
Brubeck 1977 Oil on Linen 168 x 137cm Private Collection
Up Tempo 1977 Oil on Linen 168 x 137cms
Wes Plays Django 1977 Oil on Linen 107 x 107cms Private Collection
Downbeat 1977 Oil on linen 152x122cms
PAINTED TRAM
This commission, by the Melbourne Metro Tramways Board and the Victorian Ministry of the Arts, was perhaps one of the last lyrical abstractionist works that I did, before abandoning that idea in favour of a new challenge.
1979
Commission – Melb. Metro Tramways Board and
Vic. Ministry for Arts