Exhibition 6^th to 29^th August 2004

ronald john neal

“peregrinator”

Ronald John Neal's third major Melbourne exhibition, "peregrinator", is to be launched by Ron Barassi on Friday 6th August at Pollock Gallery.

In 2002, Ronald completed his Master of Fine Arts (by research) at Monash University, Caulfield Campus. Under the guidance of tutor, Geoff Dupree, he was encouraged to paint from life. Not an easy ask when experimental art, abstract and multi media were the fashion. But this young artist had the skills and guts to turn any subject into a major, outstanding (but never popular, boring or fashionable) work of art.

Portraiture - a school girl smoking - or the tortraiture*of Nullus Redemptio. A street view of a bouncer in the gaudily lit pub doorway. An isolated eerie car park behind the rail station. The divine expression of a surprised toddler. The Friday night drinkers in front of St Pauls Cathedral. Elephant Rock blowhole at Flinders, surrounded and pounded by a dark stormy sea. And all the time there is the light. The delicate, ethereal glow; the loud neons; the blush of a young girl; sunrise on a clear cold morning; the eerie moonlight diffused through thick clouds; the strange mysterious patches of light between the twisted gnarled branches of a gigantic dead tree.

There is a powerful intensity and energy which Ronald John Neal puts into every brush stroke on every canvas. It is this, and the light, and the way he views his subject, which commands enormous attention from all who view his paintings.

You are cordially invited to attend the exhibition and we would appreciate if you could RSVP if you wish to attend the opening of the exhibition at 7.15pm on Friday 6th August.

A selection of the catalogue follows:

Click on an image for a larger view… for any information call or e-mail us

Closing Time at the Rocks

Oil on Canvas

37 x 111.5 cm