King Street Gallery on William was abuzz for the opening of Shadows, a new collection of paintings by Malabar-based artist and musician Peter O’Doherty.
O’Doherty’s works feature architectural and other tonal planes and patterns, keen observations carefully composed – soft-focused as through heat haze, early morning or late afternoon light – remembered.
Commenting upon his creative process, the artist described a fondness for familiar aspects of daily life.
With reference to a song called “Shadows”, and accompanying video (directed by Susan O’Doherty), he expressed a life-long love of painting and music-making, as well as gratitude to gallery staff, supporters and attendees.
“I’ve been painting the stuff that I know, the familiar things around me,” O’Doherty said.
“I’m trying to cover where we live. There’s the house that we live in. There’s the chairs that we sit on. There’s the eggs that we might eat, the food that we eat. And there’s the road that we drive on, the town we might visit.
“So I try to cover my very small bubble of life.
“I call the show Shadows and I have a song called ‘Shadows’ that I’ve done with Dog Trumpet. We recorded it quite a few years back. It’s on the TV screen … There’s no sound, which actually enhances the song!
“Music video is another art form that I’ve discovered it’s possible to do … Again, it’s just using images and incorporating that and duct-taping it with the music.
“I’m really lucky still to be able to make art after all these years.”
O’Doherty has won the Paddington Art Prize for Landscape, the Commendation Award at the Mosman Art Prize, and the Alan Gamble Memorial Prize for the Built Environment. He has also been a finalist in various other prizes such as the Sulman and the Salon des Refusés (Art Gallery of NSW).
Shadows (September 18 until October 12) is showing alongside Afterglow, an exhibition of ceramic sculptures by Alex Bray.
King Street Gallery on William, 177-185 William St, Darlinghurst
