DAVID MOORE   Painted Atmosphere

Speech Notes from David Moore exhibition opening

- Simon Dow
Performance Artist / Fine Art Photographer / Choreographer / Installation Artist / Creative Director

Thank you to KAREEN and JEFF and CASCADE GALLERY.

Thank you to the artist and friend, DAVID MOORE for trusting that I might offer something to this beautiful opening of his latest exhibition, ‘PAINTED ATMOPSPHERE’.

I would have to say that the offering has already happened within the beauty that hangs on these walls.

In speaking with David, I am always aware of the speed with which words come tumbling out of him riding on the backs of his rapidly moving passions. His words are considered and direct and sometimes seem to surprise even him with their sudden clarity and definition. His passion often comes out faster than his words can chase.

Art, inspired art is difficult to speak about as the words are slippery at best and fail to truly convey what the work itself says without assistance. In Zen it is said that ‘the words to describe anything of material form are merely pointing at let’s say ‘the moon’ but are not the actual moon itself.

And so, it’s tricky… in David’s words ‘I paint the light’. Hence, we wander here among these luminous works and marvel that they have the ability, to bring us, in a fleeting or a long and contemplative moment to feel as if we are, actually there in this landscape if we speak about the landscapes. Our senses are aroused. They are instinctual and spontaneous as is the moment that David comes across a sweeping arc of trees or a racing cloud or a glimmer of sunlight across a field or a shadowy path promising ‘something of a mystery’ over the next rise.

David is sure and certain about his paintings and yet despite his strength of conviction and wisdom, this surety is fleeting as this man is both humble and eternally curious with a delightful childlike way witnessed with his sometimes mischievous giggle of a laugh.

When I asked David, he expressed that he sees landscapes and light AS paintings. This glimpse or capturing of the present moment in Nature is the artist’s response to how it makes him FEEL. If David gets to the final stages of a work and it does not have that felt sense of the first glimpse, he will put it aside or paint over it. He is a FEELING painter, and this is what we see here today shining from these walls.

For David it is all in the making of it… the actual moment by moment mark-making caught in the initial visceral response he had when he first came across the scene that must be painted. I suspect that despite enjoying today and seeing people observing and responding to his work, witnessing it if you will, he might rather be a little more private. He did say “the artist becomes the witness of those who witness the artist’s work.”

When pressed David says ‘there are no rules’ something I, myself am very fond of saying and in a sense… of living by in many ways. ‘I’ve never painted for a market’ David said very clearly… ‘each work is an intimate response.’ This is personal for this artist.

DAVID’S LANDSCAPES ARE SELF-PORTRAITS.

There is a freshness and a being versus doing nature to these works. For an exhibition he chooses the ones that came closest to what he wanted to say.

David spoke about a Western sensibility of placement in a work… once again the detailed decision WITHIN the first response to the land, this blend of joyous response and discipline.

David said in answering one of my Zen koan puzzle questions, ‘I ask myself all along the way… IS THIS THE ESSENCE OF THE MOMENT OF FIRST AWE?’

This visceral immediacy in response to a moment is what you feel in these landscapes as they stand still, sweep past you or invite you in. All of them contain all three of these.

David said quote “they’re just paintings… they are simply a response to the environment… it’s a communication.”

Methinks the artist is too humble.

When asked ‘have you ever abandoned a painting?’, David responded like a rocket ‘Yes. Yesterday!’

When pressed further David offered “I go looking for it and sometimes it finds me… the initial moment of response is ALWAYS what flows through me… always present.”

When asked ‘What question do you ask yourself often?’ he responded “Have I still got a strong FRESH response still alive in me?

Last week I sat with David again and, he spoke of the following as he neared the date of this exhibition opening… “an exhibition is a curtain or a particular time… a point on a timeline but it is NOT an arrival point! I push it aside and I go beyond it. The awareness of an upcoming showing brings a ‘lift’ in my work as if moving through the veil heightens the sensitivity.

In terms of the wondrously still yet breathing still life paintings of David’s included here in this exhibition I marvel at his use of shadow and of reflected light.

These beauteous classical tutus are according to the artist a still life… “a vessel that CONTAINS the body. It is beauty in and of itself.”

David relayed a touching story of a family who came through his studios one day as part of an open studio weekend. Two adults with their young daughter. David left them to wander among his works and when the two adults came to express their thanks the young girl was absent. They simply told him that their 14 year old daughter was in the next room with his paintings and would need a little time to calm down as she had been uncontrollably crying at the beauty of the works….

ENOUGH SAID.

As we can see David loves clouds… he shared with me that it’s WHERE you see the clouds and their formations… it is the RELATIOSHIP of land to clouds, the bush, rocks, escarpment, trees and fields…. and their proximity to the horizon.

David said that “tone and tonal relationship is important to me, but I don’t consider myself a tonalist.”

He spoke about colour in HARMONY, colour AND tonal relationship. “Each colour has its own tone, and each tone has its own colour.” The harmony of this relationship is very important to this artist.

When asked about tension David said “There can be a conscious, decisive discordance, an awkwardness.

We must celebrate that we have an artist of David’s ilk among us here in Central Victoria and that this relationship with Kareen and Jeff at Cascade Gallery is so harmonious.

And now to the paintings if I may…

Firstly, the works to my right on the side wall.

I am beginning with the one at the far end beyond Ron and Julia

#33. Summer Hills, Castlemaine.

We can see David’s use of colour, the pinks, violets and surprising blues with deep, rich shadows. It sings and is movement itself.

Number 32 next along titled ‘Those Skies Again, Castlemaine’ with its vibrant cool greens and shift of colours and tones moving across the sky… an actual choreography on canvas.

Here we have numbers 28, 29 and then number 30 ‘New Year, Old Road’ hinting at paths often wandered … once again startling in its brilliant use of colour and of light and 31 these disappearing roads and paths. The artist is leading us, inviting, almost daring us to follow him beyond the road’s horizon.

Here at my right shoulder is ‘Billowing Cloud’ with its slash of light… once again it IS movement with its freely painted strong marks forming clouds that don’t just billow but race and rollick.

At my left shoulder numbers 35 and 36 where the hill falls away creating tension and a shifted perspective as Nature almost slides away off the canvas or exits stage left… a balance off balance if you will but deliberate in David’s response to this scene… this is how we actually DO SEE our world and Nature when we glimpse a moment.

To my left on this wall the smaller works which invite the intimacy of close encounter… you are pulled into these works of last light as we are into the twilight as the curtain falls and as with all ends of days, never to be seen quite that way again… the capture, the glimpsed, felt moment as the light subtly shifts… these are truly magical.

On the left wall there these three works celebrate SKY with the centre one reminding me of Perth skies which are so blue they hurt the eye. This first one where sky and clouds play hide and seek and the third one which shines as an example of the artist’s decisive use of colour palette bringing in intense warmth AND coolness.

The opposite wall behind you and the wall beyond with its two larger works that incorporate the presence of the ubiquitous Australian wooden telegraph pole, a tree of sorts reformed and reaching to the sky and providing line and division in the composition of these works. Not painting a human in Nature which changes a landscape inexorably but cleverly, a piece of human work in the use of the telegraph pole.

Number 47 on this opposite wall, the larger work with that STREAK of light on the right side, a road and this painting’s choreography of lines and tones and moving shapes.

Number 49 on the right of the opposite wall… a small work singing with violets, purples and golden yellows making brilliant use of the harmony of complimentary colour and invoking mood and feeling.

And now to the STILL LIFE paintings.

David’s use of tonal light, colour, the beauty of the brush marks, the arrangement of the objects and vessels is once again a choreography… at times formal and at times a slight and considered, calculated shift of balance with one object… rather like arranging a human group portrait. These are vibrant in their stillness and the beauty of their shadows.

And of course, the TUTUS!

These are still life within which form inhabits movement.

I couldn’t possibly count the number of times throughout my career as a classical ballet dancer on world stages that I have twirled, held, supported, partnered, lifted, swooned and soared with inhabited tutus!

They are otherworldly ‘objects’ that David pays great reverence to in these exquisite paintings. I use the word ‘reverance’ purposefully here as in the ballet world, the bow at the beginning and end of daily class and at the end of a performance is called the reverence from the French ‘to revere or hold in high respect or esteem’.

In the entrance on the right as you enter are a series of gouaches on paper which is another medium that David loves and is a master of. You can see how he uses this medium which seems to display such a different flow of paint and a faster impression of a scene. Truly the immediacy of his response to a scene. Once again, a glimpse as if caught in the peripheral vision.

On the left as you enter, THIS sky is a brilliant abstraction throwing drama and energy across the canvas in a stormy rush… this is visceral and powerful and the work of a great artist.

I have likely spoken too long and embarrassed the artist, but we are here to celebrate and to find in these beautifully hung paintings the same awe that Nature has the easy ability to surprise us with at will. David, I bow down to your skill, your humility, your ongoing curiosity and creativity, your marvellous ability and discipline, your humanness and to the shining examples of your work we see here at Cascade Gallery this afternoon.

Finally, a cogent reminder that galleries can only continue to exist and to bring exciting, quality work to communities wherever they are if people purchase the work of artists like David Moore. This supports not only the ongoing activities and plans of your gallery but also the life of the artist and brings beautiful and powerful artworks into your home that grow and mature along with you.

Please stay and enjoy this wonderful ambience and find a painting that you truly love and have a conversation with someone about it!

Thank you for lending me your ear.