The horizon and landscape is the dominant theme in David Middlebrook’s paintings and drawings. He sees the horizon as a metaphor for the unobtainable perfect painting, a form of exploration, man against the landscape, striving for yet never reaching the destination. His work includes oil paintings and sepia drawings of the Australian desert. The works in this exhibition in particular are around Menindee Lakes, Mutawintji, and White Cliffs, all in the far west of NSW.

The central horizon line allows him to explore colour, microcosm and macrocosm, perspective, tone and form within this landscape narrative. Middlebrook’s work starts with minimalist drawings done in the landscape, getting a sense of form and knowledge of local geography. This then expands into sepia works that explore the minimalism of the landscape with the addition of marks suggesting foliage, watercourses, dry ridges and other natural forms. The larger of these works are done in the studio, which allows even more of a distillation and essence of place. The oil paintings then work parallel to these drawings. Colour is intuitive and Middlebrook is lucky to have a memory that allows him to recall accurate nuances of a particular environment. There are striking aesthetic differences between the paintings and drawings, yet both come about through an obsessive practice and a unique approach. His work is quiet, with meditative qualities, suggesting more of a response to, rather than a depiction of place.

Middlebrook was awarded a PhD (University of Newcastle) for his research and body of work in Australian landscape painting and art history in 2006. His career spans 25 years, with over 30 solo exhibitions and works in numerous public and private collections. Middlebrook’s recent exhibitions include ‘Art from Australia’, Seoul, South Korea and Sydney Contemporary Art Fair, Art Atrium. He is currently working on an exhibition for Art Central, Hong Kong International Art Fair in March 2017.

Photo: Ryan Fitzgerald