Exhibition 24^thAugust to 18^th September 2005

Andrew McIlroy

“New Works”

As a child, McIlroy demonstrated a natural graphic ability but was never encouraged to pursue art professionally. For someone with such considerable early talent it is surprising then that it is only in the last two years that McIlroy seriously considered art as a career and moved to painting full-time. On the other hand, it is perhaps understandable for a man of his generation and the pressures he faced as an academically successful student who was told he was better cut out for a ‘real’ profession.

Since his return to his original passion, he has come along way in the notoriously hard to crack art world. Initially, he established a studio above his local pub in Richmond ,Melbourne in 2002. During this time McIlroy quickly experienced but appreciated the messy realities of being a struggling artist. As he says:

“The paintings would hang on out of the way walls or in closed off stairwells to actually dry sometimes. This was almost a short lived tenancy when a local felt compelled to run his hand over the texture of the painting – discovered it was wet and wiped his hands on and around the remaining pub walls.”

After originally focussing on a more traditional style of landscape – the hallmark of the Australian tradition – his work matured quickly and demonstrated an originality that makes defining his work within the conventional constraints of such a tradition elusive.

McIlroy’s work is indicative of a more sophisticated reinvigoration of the landscape which is gaining force in contemporary art circles.

His aims as an artist are modest. In his own words:

“I hope to make people pause for just a moment or go about their day with my painting in the background. I enjoyed watching people move beneath my paintings as they hung about the pub walls below my studio. My inspiration is usually as simple as to make something tangible, lasting and relevant. I focus my painting on familiar genres to achieve this and to ensure my paintings do not evolve away too far from the Australian milieu.

A selection of the catalogue follows:

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

Lane Cove River

Oil on canvas

96 x 120 cm

$2300