PRESENTED BY

Michael Davis

Black Forest

Michael Davis

BLACK FORESTGallery One, Shop 16.02 The Brickworks, 107 Ferry Road, Southport QLD 421512 - 28 May, 2017

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In ‘Black Forest’, Michael Davis presents a series of spellbinding and entrancing depictions of imagined landscapes. A palette of alluring colours and hues entice the viewer into the temporal narrative of each painting’s form.

“These paintings, like a lot of my recent work, are imagined, constructed landscapes. A remembered image of drives and walks in the countryside, the experience of being alone in a forest either in a car or on foot. Something is watching, a presence is felt, the forest is a place to disappear”.

Davis integrates the perspective of memory and experience as a translation of space that manifests as the ‘Black Forest’. For Davis, this is a psychological thriller, a good story that evolves around the intimidating nature of a dark, unknown forest.

The forest takes on the role of the protagonist of the narrative inhabiting a physicality of mythical proportions, a dark shape on the horizon. It is a forest communicating and nurturing the extreme life forces of civilisation and shifting spatial history.

"Imagine a David Attenborough-like character is talking about the trees in a forest: how they communicate and support each other, how they nurture through connected roots and how they alter their physiology to defend and attack. People living in a small country town notice the forest getting bigger - and closer. Trees that once stood alone they notice are now in two's and three's - it is a march to join the Black Forest".

Represented by Gallery One since 2010 this is Michael Davis’ sixth Solo Exhibition. Fast gaining a reputation as one of Australia's most sought after narrative landscape artists, Michael’s work is held in public and private collections both in Australia and overseas.

'BLACK FOREST II' Oil on Canvas140 x 130 cm

COVER / BACK COVER: 'BLACK FOREST I '. Oil on Canvas,140 x 130 cm

'IN CONVERSATION'Oil on Canvas 106 x 90 cm

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'Remembered images of drives and walks in the countryside..'

'THE ROAD TO THE BLACK FOREST'Oil on Canvas 106 x 90 cm

'Something is watching, a presence is felt...

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.the forest - a place to disappear.'

'THE LONG SLOW MARCH' Oil on Canvas 140 x 130 cm

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'THE ROAD IN' Oil on Archers Paper 77 x 58 cm

'ON THE EDGE OF BLACK FOREST' Oil on Archers Paper 77 x 57 cm

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'CASCADE' Oil on Archers Paper 76 x 57 cm

'THE ECHO COMES AGAIN DEAR' Oil on Archers Paper 77 x 58 cm

'WAITING FOR A SIGN' Oil on Archers Paper 77 x 58 cm

'GATHERING' Oil on Archers Paper 77 x 58 cm

'THE MARCH TOWARDS' Oil on Archers Paper 77 x 58 cm

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'I FALL ASLEEP IN YOUR BRANCHES' Oil on Canvas200 x 186 cm

'BREATHING LESSONS' Oil on Canvas200 x 186 cm

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Michael Davis in his studio, Sydney'WE TOOK THE WRONG ROAD ROUND' Oil on Archers Paper 77 x 58 cm

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'ESCAPE FROM BLACK FOREST' Oil on Canvas140 x 130 cm

'DRIVE THRU' Oil on Canvas140 x 130 cm

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