Michael Lowe
landscapes
Although my subject matter may look familiar it most likely isn't.
This is the power of realism, a way to transport viewers into an imaginative and constructed setting where they discover a perceived meaning and association to the landscape.
New Zealand is a young nation and the way we've built upon, scarred, and altered the terrain with a sense of entitlement and purpose is very much a recent activity in the scheme of the landscape’s historical morphology.
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Who really owns this land? What is the vernacular landscape?
My painting process is generative and minimalist. Compositions are partly planned imaginations. Each sitting begins by re-blending primary colours from scratch. The work evolves while responding to cues within the paint strokes resulting in a subtle yet imperfect finish made up of a diverse spectrum of colours.
I believe we can learn a lot about our spiritual connection to the landscape by experiencing a place in person and through the painting process start to decipher its underlying genius loci.