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the back story "Still life with Monastery Crows"

The piece "Still life with Monastery crows"

sold yesterday to my dear friends Mick and Angela Forbes - I thought I would write the "backstory " (pun intended) for them and also show I construct my work from many diverse sources. In the process I also want to illustrate that  every piece I exhibit is the sum of my skills, cultural history scholarship spiritual life and life experience to date.

Last year I decided to revisit Tarrawarra monastery set in beautiful farmland outside Yarra Glen Victoria- I had last been  there as a  Therry College school boy in the early 70s and have been doing so much religious art thought I should reconnect with its source and my own upbringing.

It was with some trepidation I drove up the long track  to the monastery - I wasn't sure how I would cope with the intense 24 hour cycle of devotions after so any years feeling the weight of catholic disapproval of my gay self
As I drove up the winding hill past the yellow fields flocks of crows rose up   to meet me.
I immediately thought of Van Gogh's images of crows and wheat fields -Van Gogh is my my spiritual father  and mentor and both his art work and writings are intensely moving .  I recognised we were also  a part of a grand european humanist tradition that transcends dogma and  persecution.


The monastery guest house and chapel
http://www.cistercian.org.au/who-we-are/cisterians.htm
are beautiful but very austere - a few very simple beautiful  pieces in the chapel and the guest house is painted in the creams and browns of the cistercian order with  very few concessions to modern technology. The next day after getting up through the night and early morning I went for a walk in the monastery grounds picking figs and arranging them as a still life in my sparsely decorated room


After lunch where we were waited on by the charming and erudite Abbott, Dom David, I went for a long walk in the surrounding fields



The farm is very beautiful









Here are a few pictures that speak for themselves.
As I came up the hill and down past an abandoned railway line I disturbed a flock of crows in some dead trees. A mournful but beautiful scene the basis for this  landscape the Valley of the Crows


The French Connection
Bruno a Frenchman living in Melbourne responded to an advertisement on a dating site looking for models for my art work. Like other of his countrymen he is not prudish about his body and is very literate about all things creative. Here he is posing in my studio.


 At the same time Bruno began modelling for me I began studying the work of the 19th century French artist Gericault. I was particularly impressed by two works - the Raft of the Medusa  and this portrait of his friend. I love the dramatic lighting and colouring of the Raft of the Medusa as well as its strategic use of male nakedness and I like the simple colouring of the portrait of his friend ( also thought to  be the model for the naked figure in the left foreground of the raft picture )



 I asked Bruno to pose for me with a balloon back chair, a family heirloom I have placed in my studio that is ideal for more formal portraiture work
Here are some images from that shoot in the form of a proof sheet I use to select the most promising images.
 I finally chose a full back view as I have also been exploring the concept of the human skin as a canvas on which to project images principally through my Man of Flowers series . In looking at my online discourse with people who follow my work on deviant art I remember that it was also influenced by my taste in erotica -men at play -a site which depicts men informal wear in various stage of undress and sexual congress

I used a couple of on-line editing packages such as Picassa and Pic Monkey to merge the various elements of the picture and give a suitably gothic feel including a program which replicates daguerreotypes 

So when an artist asks you to part with hundreds of your hard earned dollars to purchase his or her work be aware of the intense thought visual literacy sensual and spiritual effort that goes into his or her best work 

Midsumma Opening and a Sale in sunny Altona

A sunny afternoon at Altona beach today for the launch of the midsumma "Textures of Compassion "
 It was terrific to catch up with local MP Colleen Hartland an old friend from environment action days and Cr Tony Briffa gave a great speech





It was great to welcome old and new friends and as to have the support of Jill Kim and her team and to cap off the day off old friends Mick and Angela brought "Still life with monastery crows" one of the very few pieces I have produced in sepia.
 I will be at the gallery tomorrow and next weekend - text me if you want to be sure I will be there

Installation Countdown and publicity

Great day today with my friend John Attard installing the exhibition at the  Louis Joel Gallery  amongst the poignant AIDS quilts - John is an exacting curator and the end result is truly beautiful, plus Jill Kim and the gang made us feel part of the team
The gallery received over 17 enquiries about the exhibition since the article was published yesterday.




 Joan Kirner has today confirmed she will be coming, Zoran and his dad have done a beautiful job on the framing and all is looking extremely promising for the opening of the show this Sunday at 2pm.
Hope to see you there x Michael

Textures of Compassion Sexy Manly don't miss it

a new show coming up Sunday 27th January as a part of Midsumma and Gowest

http://www.midsumma.org.au/event/aids-quilt-and-exhibition
 at the Joel Gallery Altona

Theme is Textures of Compassion to match the launch of the AIDS quilts in the West and the show will include several Pietas featuring gay men in tender embrace including the artist !
 plus painting and  jewellery from other local queer artists !
I will also be minding  the gallery at other times:contact me on eurekacommunity@gmail.com to arrange a time