Sunshine Coast
I began my career with formal training as a painter at Queensland College of Art in the 1970’s before completing a Screen Printing trade. I imbue in my paintings, human relationships, environment and figures in the landscape. My work is strongly influenced by Surrealism in a Realism Style.
Artworks: 23
John Emerson b. 1961
I would classify my work as contemporary magical realism, where the observed or known mixes with the imagined. My painting combine aspects from multiple sources and use both a contrived and improvised approach to ideas. My early sources of inspiration were the Surrealists Dali and Magritte, later the Impressionists and Australian artists Russell Drysdale and Jeffrey Smart.
Over time, I have been consistent with my style of realism, which is easy for the eye to flow over or navigate the picture plain. I have always painted in oils on canvas as I enjoy the ability to control the viscosity of oil paint and scope of colour choices. I keep the paint close to the canvas in a flat linear hard edge style of mark making. I am interested in creating perspective depth that allows the viewer to be drawn into a different reality.
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