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.
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.