Steve Northeast – Fluidity

Melbourne native Steve Northeast returns to Australia for his first solo exhibition in Sydney. A capstone on 13 years of work in his New York studio as well as a showcase for work produced since, Fluidity gathers together a range of Northeast’s paintings from the past 15 years.

Fluidity suggests a raw, direct easiness typical of Northeast’s work, who paints instinctively, from the heart. One gets the sense that his paintings explode with force: jagged, frenetic brushwork seems to cut through to something instinctive.

The idea of breaking free is a major theme in Northeast’s paintings, and perhaps not surprisingly his growling brushwork and his bold use of colour conjures coming storms, raging fires, and cold, abyssal backwood mornings. Indeed, nature is a major inspiration behind Northeast’s paintings, and it is in these dramatic pictures of landscapes blasted by fire or by wind that one can see Northeast’s Australian roots. (ZS)

May 13–19, by appointment. Culture at Work, 6-8 Scott St, Pyrmont. To book a private viewing, contact Steve Northeast: stevenortheast.com or +61 413 837 883

BY ZEIYA SPEEDE