Callum Arnold 'Simulations' (2009)

Moving towards, yet further away from the ever-changing landscape, Callum Arnold carries the viewer into his extraordinary, complex and layered paintings, simultaneously representing the past, present and future. He readdresses how we have traditionally looked at the landscape, taking us on a contemporary journey (or road trip) through our varied country. He reminds us how we see and what we see to be an amalgam of fact and fiction; a mix of memory, contemplation, interaction and place; reflection (in all senses of the word) and refraction.

Arnold is establishing himself as a significantly skilled and confident painter who produces distinctive and stimulating works. His visual language is entirely his own and as unique as the environments he travels through. Optical effects, layering, blurring and the use of compositional elements such as meandering line, light and shadow move the viewer’s eye in and around his paintings.

‘Simulations’ reveals a landscape journey from Christchurch along the Otago coast to the Catlins. From the warm and dry Canterbury plains of ‘Southern Road’ (2009) to the coastal hills in ‘South Coast’ (2009) Arnold demonstrates event, time and place in one succinct painting.

Man made elements have become more prevalent in these works. ‘Settlement’ (2009) shows a sleepy coastal town, the architecture of houses interfaces with another sense of place and become emblematic containers of memory as we pass by. From the left, brooding clouds move over a painterly coast line as the sun rises warmly over fading hills. Fence lines, telephone poles and road markings, are rhythmically placed - they play with perception and lead you into the work, rather than across the surface.

Water seems to function as if a mirage - mirror-like - in a number of these works. Arnold’s palette is becoming increasingly diverse; rich greens and deep blues in ‘Lakeside’ (2009) make for a picturesque lakeside composition whereas the earth is warmer and more exposed in the rugged landscape of ‘Riverside’ (2009).

Direction seems clear when engaging with the pyramid composition in ‘Valley’ (2009), yet your eye is dragged left as another path appears; a journey can lead you in many different directions, which path do you choose?

Callum Arnold has risen to national prominence; critics are taking notice. His unique and contemporary perspective on the New Zealand landscape reveals our environment not only as aesthetically pleasing but also as a place to be explored, journeyed through, lived and experienced.

Event listed by Milford Galleries

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