William Mackinnon's paintings sit at the intersection between reality and imagination, what he physically perceives and what he concocts in his mind. He explores the possibilities of painting through what is often a fantastical representation of the environment around him: whether it be a roadscape, landscape, or dreamscape.
Read MoreIn 2008 Mackinnon was awarded the Marten Bequest Travelling Scholarship, a prestigious two-year bursary that led the artist to travel the Kimberley where he was artist in residence at Mangkaja Arts in Fitzroy Crossing and a field officer for Papunya Tula artists, servicing the Kintore (NT) and Kiwikurra (WA) communities. His latest work gives a very personal account of what is for most Australians an unknown world, one often viewed through the dual veil of romanticism and prejudice.
Mackinnon completed a Bachelor of Arts at the University of Melbourne in 2000, a Postgraduate Diploma at the Chelsea College of Art and Design, London, in 2006 and a Master of Visual Arts at the Victorian College of the Arts, Melbourne in 2008. He has held solo exhibitions nationally and internationally, including The Lucky Country, Utopian Slumps, 2011; Boutwell, Draper Gallery, Sydney, 2010; Paintings Conceived While Driving, Utopian Slumps, Melbourne, 2009; Mountains, Streams and Cave Dreams, Joint Hassles, Melbourne, 2008; The Covers Album, Joint Hassles, Melbourne, 2007; Not Anxious, Melbourne Art Rooms, Melbourne, 2005; and In and Out, Hewer St Studios, London, 2004. Selected group exhibitions include The Painting Group, Utopian Slumps, 2010; Hellʼs Bottom Drawer, curated by Susan Jacobs, Jess Johnson and Katherine Hattam, Hell Gallery, Melbourne, 2010; Contemporary Collage, John Buckley Fine Art, Melbourne, 2008; Under the Influence, Warnambool Art Gallery, Victoria, 2007; Going Under, Joint Hassles, Melbourne, 2007; Empire Strikes Back, Hewer St Studios, London, 2006; Chase, Royal College, London, 2005; Cut and Paste, Pickled Art Centre, Beijing, 2002; and Homeshow, Next Wave Festival, Melbourne, 2002.