Wonderful Things is an exhibition of new work by Tim McMonagle, who through whimsical compositions, has considered the curious lifecycle of Australia’s majestic native gums, magnificent pavlovas and the personalities of the duck-billed platypus.
Concurrent to his propensity for quirky imagery is McMonagle’s abiding respect for painting. Each canvas is a testament to his commitment to technique and an enjoyment from pushing around paint. Doggedly devoted to his artistic practice, he rehearses each piece by drawing ideas multiple times so as to become intimately acquainted with every line. By the time he is ready to commit to canvas, he knows the image well enough that he can make the brushstrokes appear spontaneous. Seen up close, each fragment of the whole could potentially be observed as its own abstracted composition, such is the detail of his work.
Born in New Zealand, Tim McMonagle has spent the majority of his life working and studying in Melbourne. Winner of the 2010 Fletcher Jones Art Prize for his work The happy song, he was named a finalist in the 2012 Archibald Prize for his portrait of art collector Michael Buxton, and has been amongst the Wynne Prize finalists in 2018, 2016 and 2015 for his series of tree landscapes. A veteran of over forty solo and group exhibitions, his work is held in major public, private and university collections throughout Australia.
Image: Magnificent Pavlova With Bananas, 2019, oil on linen, 76 x 76 cm
