My muse and subject of these works

All hail to Nicollo my muse and the fine subject of these fine works !
Nicollo as well as being incredibly handsome is also smart being a published poet and performer  - there is some poetry on his blog

http://idigwords.blogspot.com.au/

and  some stills from  a video my son Conor and I did of Nicollo performing his poetry.


He is great to work with because he tolerates me asking him to do awkward and challenging poses for example on my studio deck naked in cold weather - and collaborates on ideas and concepts -most of these works were done over 2 shoots several months apart -one at his place and one at my studio. 

Judging by the response on the first day I am sure he will be a favourite with the most of the women of Daylesford and many of the men !

The Great Install

Despite the epic journey through rain and fog to Daylesford I made it to the Convent today to work with Tina the Director and Linda the assistant to install my exhibition . here are some shots - it will be on for 6 weeks and is in the most beautful room in a most beautiful building - the tower of the old mansion that forms the core of the building . 


Thank you Tina for risking the controversy that showing the male nude - complete with spirtual references - may cause!

 Please come and visit - there are always several artists at once being shown in the 8 galleries and the gardens-even in winter -are stunning 

I am taking the works to the convent at Daylesford tomorrow, when I looked in my "Year with Hafiz" book by Daniel Ladinksy (Penguin Books ) I found the following poem listed under today's date




The Greatest and most lasting art, the impetus of it, I feel, always comes from a wanting to help.
A wanting to free,and an enthusiasm to express discovery.


Each soul at some point will begin to feel all is 
within it and then attends ,a s it were, to its own inner world .That attendance may not result in anything considered tangible reaching the masses


But the artist also becomes aware of inner spheres and mingles with them, and then puts these experiences into what they most care about for the world to see and touch if the world wants 


I know all my poems come from a wanting to give something useful .




I am attaching the images from the exhibition . I hope they will inspire by their beauty and that their subject matter may also stimulate some useful discussion 

All works are framed limited edition of 20 original studio photography photo-manipulation printed on metallic paper numbered and signed 
 Printing by CPL digital South Melbourne 

Exhibition at the Convent Gallery Daylesford

Hi everyone welcome to the blog of Michael James O'Hanlon visual artist and writer AKA Eureka.

here is a blurb about me and my art.


 I am delighted to be exhibiting in the tower room at the convent throughout July and early August 

Cnr. Hill & Daly St, Daylesford
Ph:             +61 3 5348 3211      
Fax: +61 3 5348 3339
Email: info@theconvent.com.au

Michael drawing at Hagia sofia in Istanbul

ARTIST’S STATEMENT AND ARTIST’S CV MICHAEL O’HANLON


Michael O’Hanlon Is a Melbourne based artist who exhibits regularly in group exhibitions. His most recent exhibitions have been at the Thousand Pound Bend Gallery, Rosalyn Smorgon Gallery Footscray, Joel Gallery Altona and the Convent Gallery Daylesford.

He studied at Footscray Community Arts Centre from 2007-9 achieving a Certificate in Further Education Art Studies His course included foundation studies, cultural perspectives cross media applications and contemporary art practice. Michael also has a Bachelor of Arts, Melbourne and Auckland Universities, Bachelor of Social Work Melbourne University and a Masters of Business, Victoria University.
Michael is a qualified social worker with training in psychology and critical social theory and collaborates closely with architects and designers in his consulting practice.  - These influences can be seen in his choice of subject matter for his visual arts practice which ranges from the figurative to architectural illustrations and in the innovative public buildings he has commissioned, for example Altona Meadows Library
http://www.architecture.com.au/awards_search?option=showaward&entryno=2007030357

His work questions inequalities based on gender and race, the colonisation of the gay male body by contemporary capitalism and religious oppression of gay people
As well as exploration of the male form through life drawing, found image, video and text, Michael’s body of work include formalist, still life, urban seaside and rural landscapes, religious, emotional and spiritual art, site specific installations social change and community engagement through art
Michael uses a variety of media include painting drawing with ink and white out, photography mixed media and video. His work is rich, multi coloured, multi layered, textured, patterned politically aware and emotionally expressive.

According to Dr Annie Bolitho
  “Michael’s art is motivated by the power of revelation. This is art-in-the –world, a stand for full human potential and a reaching for social rights. Nowhere is this more clearly stated than in the artist’s frequent return to the themes of the Eureka Flag and the male body un-clothed. What does it mean to be a self determined Australian? Michael asks”


For inspiration Michael uses a journal.
“I write/ create in my journal several times a week and also use it to explore new themes in both my life and my art. I use the journal process to help me observe life more closely, to work out issues with my life, to cope proactively with change in relationships or work.  Journals vary from 30 -60 % handwritten text, the rest is drawing, collected materials including poetry or material I have photographed or downloaded and printed on my quirky inkjet printer and pasted in.”
 These journals have become works of art in their own right and were exhibited at Joel Gallery in January 2010. He can be contacted on 0419750942 or via email eurekacommunity@gmail.com email