Governor-General Art Award 2017 Winner - Michael Browne

Governor-General Art Award 2017 Winner - Michael Browne

A lifetime of achievement

Michael has painted full-time for over 30 years. Much of his inspiration has been drawn from the scenic location of his studio in Shelly Bay – and indeed from his many runs around Wellington’s bays.

Over the course of his life Michael has created a huge volume of work and has achieved many accolades.

Michael says his art has been a process of continuous change. His early work was figurative in style and he painted varied subjects including many portraits. He became interested in landscape art quite early on and it has captured his imagination ever since, becoming increasingly abstract in nature. But like all artists he has experimented and the course of progress is not always linear.

Today he says his work is still largely based on landscape – he calls them ‘evocative landscapes’ seeking an emotional response from the viewer. His more recent works are inspired by a trip to India and the fiery rich colours, patterns and images he absorbed.

“A working life is a continuum and changes are natural and these changes have been true tomy experiences. To me style itself is of no importance but qualities of structure, form, colourand tone and the paint itself are paramount. These form the backbone of my paintings…Thecreating of art is a recording of an intellectual and emotional response to inner and external phenomena” Michael Browne

A retrospective of Michael’s works are on show at the Academy Galleries, 1 Queens Wharf, Wellington, open daily from 10 am. Entry is free.

ENDS

© Scoop Media