In The Blue - A Solo Show By Max Thomson

“Blue is the only colour, which maintains its own character in all its tones… it will always stay blue.” - Raoul Dufy, French Fauvist painter

Blue was a latecomer among colours used in art and decoration, as well as language and literature. And yet, the colour has rapidly become a symbol for, and synonymous with, almost everything. It indicates anything from a hyperlink to jeans, from sadness to holiness, from wealth to military standing, and from sea to sky. The wealth of opportunity presented by this colour has been embraced by artist Max Thomson in his new solo show In the Blue.

‘In the Blue’ follows on from Thomson’sprevious show held here at the Asterisk, Domain Paintings. While the works of Domain Paintings focused on specific scenes of Auckland domain, with equal attention given to nature and man-made constructions, In the Blue offers closer attention to nature.

The scenes, taken from real life then recreated with a hint of creative licence, though not monochromatic share a depth of palette united by an underlying blue tone. Van Gogh once wrote to his brother Theo, "'Cobalt [blue] is a divine colour and there is nothing so beautiful for putting atmosphere around things …”

The works of Max Thomson provide a perfect support for this argument. Still influenced by a distinct impressionistic quality, Max Thomson’s paintings capture light in a way that offers a sense of a very specific moment in time.

Join us on Saturday 27 April at 2pm-4pm for an opening event of In the Blue, as well as The Medium- a solo show by Kate Rampling, Figuring the Anthroscene - a solo show by Catherine Manchester, and a mini show of our exhibit at the Auckland Art Fair!