exhibitions

mixed media on canvas and paper

5 - 22 November 2004

about the exhibition

In his third exhibition at Beaver Galleries, Victorian artist Thornton Walker offers a rare insight into the wide range of influences he has embraced as a painter: “I wanted to present an exhibition which highlighted the diversity of subject matter and technique in my practice over the past several years.” Over decades, Walker has painted sepia, wash and watercolour landscapes which are a cornerstone of his practice – although not often exhibited – and represent records of his travels, a personal visual diary. In the mid-eighties Thornton worked on conventional still life studies that evolved into enigmatic paintings using the chinese bowl as a recurring motif. Zen notions of emptiness infused the work, the realism of the ceramic bowl, its shadow affirming its existence, resting on an uncertain background of clouds, roughly textured colour and text. The influence of overseas travel further informed new work. A series of interiors was inspired by visits over a three month period in 1995 to the 14th century infirmary in Pedralbes Monastery, Barcelona. The simple monastic cells he found had a sense of time, history and a stillness he wanted to capture, resulting in a series of watercolours, small oils, and later larger works. More recently, after seeing Picasso’s “Flûte de Pan” at the Musée de Picasso in Paris, Thornton embarked on a series of paintings that are a ‘deconstruction’ of the original: ”I realised it was the backdrop that captivated me, the dream-like seascape and architectural shapes without the two figures.”

Thornton Walker began his art education in printmaking at Prahran College of Advanced Education, which was followed by further studies at the Victorian College of the Arts. After graduating in 1977, he spent the next eight years travelling extensively in Europe and the United States. With over twenty solo exhibitions to his name, Thornton’s work has been acquired by numerous institutional and corporate collections, including those of the National Gallery of Australia, Art Gallery of NSW, Art Gallery of WA, Artbank, and Parliament House, Canberra.

exhibition images

  • 1. $14,000 La flûte de PanVII (2004) - acrylic, oil & collage on canvas, 96.5 x 183cm

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  • 2. $14,000 Elemental composition I (2004) - oil & collage on canvas, 117 x 137.5cm

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  • 3. $2,200 Balcony, Currumbin I (1999) - ink on paper, 33 x 22cm

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  • 4. $2,200 Monastery interior, Spain II (1995) - watercolour on paper, 34 x 25cm

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  • 5. $1,800 Church, Sifnos (1998) - ink on paper, 30 x 21.5cm

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  • 6. $2,000 Balcony, Currumbin II (1999) - ink on paper, 32 x 22cm

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  • 7. $2,200 Pont de Sully, Paris (2003) - ink & watercolour on paper, 24 x 31cm

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  • 8. $2,200 Monastery interior, Spain I (1995) - watercolour on paper, 33 x 26cm

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  • 9. $2,200 Flooded rice fields, Bali I (2001 - 2004) - ink on paper, 25 x 33cm

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  • 10. $2,200 Toberua, Fiji II (2004) - ink on paper, 32 x 25cm

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  • 11. $2,300 Ross, Tasmania (2002) - gouache & watercolour on paper, 29 x 38cm

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  • 12. $3,500 Monastery interior, Spain IV (1995) - oil on canvas, 46 x 38cm

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  • 13. $1,800 Botanical Gardens, Melbourne (1982) - ink on paper, 25 x 20cm

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  • 14. $2,200 Flooded rice fields, Bali II (2001 - 2004) - ink on paper, 33 x 25cm

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  • 15. $2,200 Monastery interior, Spain III (1995) - watercolour on paper, 32 x 23cm

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  • 16. $2,500 Falmouth, Tasmania (2002) - ink & watercolour on paper, 30 x 35cm

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  • 17. $2,200 Toberua, Fiji III (2004) - ink & gouache on paper, 32 x 25cm

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  • 18. $2,200 Toberua, Fiji I (2004) - ink & gouache on paper, 35 x 26cm

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  • 19. $14,000 Elemental composition II (2004) - oil & collage on canvas, 117 x 137.5cm

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  • 20. $15,000 La flûte de PanVIII (2004) - acrylic, oil & collage on canvas, 100 x 200cm

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  • 21. $16,000 Monastery interior, Spain VI (2003) - oil on canvas, 2 panels, 168 x 178.5cm

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  • 22. $16,000 Monastery interior, Spain V (2003) - oil on canvas, 2 panels, 168 x 178.5cm

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  • 23. $6,000 Vertical composition 3 (2001) - oil on canvas, 76 x 66cm

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  • 24. $3,000 Vertical composition 4 (2001) - oil on canvas, 41.5 x 33.5cm

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  • 25. $15,000 Chinese bowl (2001) - diptych, oil on canvas, 106.5 x 183cm

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  • 26. $6,000 La flûte de Pan(study) (2004) - oil on canvas, 76 x 66cm

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  • 27. $6,000 In this mortal frame of mine (2004) - oil & collage on canvas, 66 x 76cm

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