NEW WORKS: ROBERT JUNIPER at 80
15 March – 2 April, 2009
Many years ago the then American Consul, Ken Rabin said to me, I like your paintings better than uncles. He went on to say, Uncle paints his backgrounds with an ugly colour and works on it until it does not hurt anymore! I found that hard to accept especially as it was pointed out to me that uncle was Mark Rothko. My practice is not dissimilar, except I do not start with an ugly colour, quite the contrary. I lay down a wash of paint that is relevant to the landscape, exploit the happy accidents and eliminate the bits that displease. And then I add details until I am satisfied.
Robert Juniper, 2009
An unequivocal highlight on the West Australian exhibition calendar this year is a showcase of new paintings by eminent West Australian artist, Robert Juniper.
Age does not slow an artist such as Juniper, rather it adds a transcendent quality to his work, only achieved by an artist of such experience. Juniper is a prolific painter, sculptor and printmaker, best known for his evocative depictions of the West Australian landscape. He has an affinity with the land, and as a boy spent much time in the country, whilst his father worked on the C.Y. OConnor pipeline in Western Australia. As an adult, he has travelled extensively through many remote areas of Australia, especially Arnhem land, often viewing the topography from light aircraft, hence the aerial aspect in some of his works.
Juniper continually revises his artistic approach, and has recently been creating works that juxtapose the use of flat non-reflective paint surfaces with gold and silver leaf and glistening mineral sands.
Instead of using black acrylic or oil, I am replacing them with ilmenite sand. The sand has a life of its own and sparkles like a galaxy, says Juniper.
In his own words, Robert Juniper is a feeler, not a thinker. When approaching a blank canvas, he does not visualise the finished work, rather, he allows the painting to naturally develop. He is not keen to talk about his completed works, but will happily reveal his thought processes during the creation of a piece, and the techniques used. For him, a painting cannot be described in words. Robert Juniper likens the layering processes involved in producing a painting as similar to those when writing a piece of music, often using words such as layering, harmony, rhythm, contrast, repetition and colour to describe the development of a work.
Recognised as a 'State Living Treasure' and one of Australia's leading artists, Robert Junipers works can be found in all major Australian public collections. He is also represented in collections in Europe, USA, New Zealand, China, Hong Kong, Indonesia and New Caledonia.
For information on other available works by Robert Juniper, please consult Robert Juniper's artist page or click the link below.
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