What do paintings of trucks, cars, advertising signs, ‘Big Things’, sculptures that resemble ‘Big Things’, abandoned chairs, and Ronald McDonald have in common?
For one thing, at some point, I thought it was a good idea to paint pictures of them.
I’m often drawn to the mundane and humorous aspects of these subjects, but that’s only part of their appeal. Perhaps it’s the context in which they’re found: the environments they inhabit, the light, the atmosphere. In trying to capture something of this, I’ve become increasingly interested in detail—whether it’s found on the surface of an object or in the peripheral elements of an image.
All of the work in this exhibition shares a compositional strategy focused on a single central subject and its surroundings. While people are mostly absent, the subjects themselves act as stand-ins—characters that reflect human presence through their placement and condition.
The exhibition comprises a new series of small, detailed paintings focused on cars, trucks, and advertising signs. The locations range from the Shoalhaven region on the southern coast of NSW to Mackay in the north, with many drawn from closer to home.
Earlier works, many of which are being exhibited for the first time, share a similar aesthetic strategy, though they explore other, not unrelated, subjects. One small group, in particular, focuses on figurative sculptural objects or ‘Big Things’—works that, like roadside signs, compete for attention from passersby.
Maybe that’s my intention too, or maybe they just caught my eye.
— Nick Ashby
Image: Chrysler Centura, Wooloongabba 2025, Oil on Dibond, 20 x 29 cm
