What started as a taboo has become the cornerstone of a new exhibition by Hobart artist Adrian Bradbury.
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He was in high school when a new art teacher began broadening his horizons from impressionist artists to more contemporary artists.
But she did have one rule.
“She forbid the lot of us from painting corny sunrises over the water,” Bradbury said.
“In my mind sunrises became a taboo subject – a romantic cliche, overdone and with no relevance to contemporary art.”
However, moving to Tasmania quickly changed his mind.
“But now, living in Hobart, surrounded by water, I can’t help but be drawn to, and mesmerised by the subtle changes in light and colour as the sky gradually lightens and the sea emerges from the darkness,” Bradbury said.
His First Light exhibition, on show in Launceston, features a series of oil paintings capturing the changing atmosphere and intensity of sunrise hues over the Tasman Sea, inspired by views from Mt Wellington, South Arm and the Tasman Peninsular.
Using oils meant multiple layers of colour were built over time as he based his work on observations, records and memory.
“My primary concern has been to bring a freshness to my work rather than to render a specific scene,” Bradbury said.
- First Light is on show until September 16 at Stillwater Gallery.