Bernie Greaves

Bernard’s artworks are a contemporary expression of colour, movement and texture.  Each collection of works tells a narrative through the thick and instinctive application of oil paint, allowing the viewer to examine a variety of bold, playful and organic gestures.  His recent Still Life series depicts a recent snapshot into his studio surrounds at his grandparents home. The paintings depicting certain items of the everyday are recognisable yet, together, the works hint at a timeless sense of domestic family life. This depiction showcases connection to his own family’s history, having come as migrants from old-world Europe and embracing a new Australia. By closely observing the everyday possessions around him, Bernard aims to remind the viewer of their own connection to their familial memories.

The large chunks of paint draw attention to the material itself, to its colour and to the marks on the canvas, reminding us that what we see is different to what is actually there. By creating these images, detail is reduced, so the viewer must draw on their own memory to make it their own. Bernard utilises the energy and motion of the application of paint to evoke a visceral response so that one may see, touch and smell the pigment in front of them. The oil paintings will draw the viewer even closer to an inspection of the surface and what is indeed the focus – paint.