Tolarno Galleries is pleased to present The Stations: Brent Harris’s new exhibition of etchings, drawings and one painting.
On display in Gallery 2, the exhibition focus is the set of 14 etchings Harris made in 2021 in response to the Christian devotional practice – and associated series of 14 images – known as the Stations of the Cross.
Harris, who was born and raised in New Zealand and migrated to Australia in 1981, previously tackled the subject early on in his career. The Stations 1989 consisted of 14 oil paintings and a corresponding group of intaglio prints. The National Gallery of Victoria acquired a full set of the prints that same year.
This new interpretation of The Stations reveals an artist whose visual language has evolved considerably, moving from geometric abstraction to figurative representation while retaining a strong feeling for the generative potential of ambiguous form. The etchings combine a minimalist pictorial approach of drawn outlines, black rectangular planes and a recurring giant eye with livelier, more organic marks that provide texture and tone.
“My first iteration of The Stations in 1989 was inspired by both Barnett Newman and Colin McCahon,” says Harris.
“During the global pandemic, I found the perfect psychological space to make a new attempt, which is a far more literal reading of the subject,” he says.
“This reflects the general direction of my work over the past 30 years, but also a different sense of engagement with the subject of one’s own mortality.”
Accompanying THE STATIONS 2021 are two related drawings and the painting: Sad Magdalene 2023.
Press release courtesy Tolarno Galleries.
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