Still Life – Peter Simpson

Hunter Valley-born landscape artist Peter Simpson is presenting an innovative series of works in which he focuses on still life pieces for the first time in his career.

“There’s a simplicity and immediacy in these paintings. You connect with the objects deeply while you’re reproducing them, and you really look at each of them, and notice their details, it’s very intimate,” he says.

Simpson studied art extensively, as well as painting for over 20 years, so he is no stranger to artistic production. His experience is apparent in his collection; said to be placed “in an oval shape, so that the objects can all play off one another.”

He has purposely kept the paintings simple. The intention was merely to capture the inanimate objects as they are, not to add flare or artistic expression.

“You become very focussed in the moment with the thing in front of you; it’s more about the process than the result.”

Simpson has used oil on linen for all of his works, to keep them as unmediated as possible.

“They’re all very insightful to me, and I’ve enjoyed making them very much. I would like to see if others feel connected to them too,” he says. (RM)

May 7-24, Arthouse Gallery, 66 McLachlan Ave, Rushcutters Bay, free, arthousegallery.com.au

BY ROCIO MENDEZ