The Drunken Rhapsodies
By Claire Eltringham
Bryan Bulley has been painting for over 25 years and is well known for his colourful birds-eye renditions of cityscapes. Bulley’s love of the Top End and its climate is inherent in his work. According to the artist, “There is something deeply romantic about the tropics; its heat, climatic extremes, the rawness and intensity of its colours. The landscape of the Top End and its people are an endless source of stimulus for my work; I love it."
Bulley’s extensive career boasts some high achievements including inclusion in the major survey of Northern Territory art titled 'Sound of Sky' at the Museum and Art Gallery of the Northern Territory. The artist’s work can be found in the Northern Territory Museum and Art Gallery Collection, Parliament House Collection in Canberra and the TogArt collection – Bulley was a finalist in 2007 and 2008 for the TogArt Contemporary Art Award in Darwin.
This exhibition again focuses on the wonder of tropical life. As Bulley suggests, “This imagery is an exploration and depiction of landscape, in particular the urban landscape and the human activity within. The picture plane is flattened, twisted and distorted. In this I am attempting to open up the vista, to allow space and time in, a synthetic cubism of sorts, of multiple perspectives, angles and time. This pictorial space allows room for a dialogue to occur and a story to evolve. This visual dexterity, a playfulness and formed allegory draws the viewer into a work and thus a conversation is formed.”
The magnificent Top End continues to be an inspiration for visual artists – this exhibition is testimony to that.
WHEN: SAT 16 MAY – SAT 13 JUN |OPENING FRI 15 MAY, 5.30-7.30PM
INFO: pauljohnstonegallery.com.au
