29 February – 16 March 2024
about the exhibition
Crispin Akerman’s exquisitely rendered still life paintings are embedded with finely balanced and evocative details. These works are juxtaposed with paintings that depict moments of windswept Tasmanian coastline captured with a looser brush stroke. Crispin’s thoughtfully considered compositions resonate with an environment beyond the canvas offering us a study in quiet contemplation and observation. As Crispin says of this body of work, “The celebration of life is a theme that has emerged during the painting of this exhibition. Along with the formal considerations of arranging the objects for a still life painting such as colour, light and composition, the objects and subject matter of still life painting resonate on a symbolic level. The still life table arranged with fruit, flowers and various household wares, bowls, jugs, cups and vases echo the rituals of daily life as well as life’s ephemeral nature.” This process of choosing and arranging the objects is very considered, taking him many hours to achieve. Sometimes it can be a new object that inspires the composition, other times, a particular colour or angle of light. While the works are largely observational, the arrangement of the objects is highly constructed over underlying geometries, allowing for the exploration of harmony, balance, tension, light and atmosphere. Alongside these perfectly balanced and meticulous arrangements, his landscapes, painted en plein air, capture the wild and rugged beauty of scenes surrounding his home town of Hobart. His mastery of technique translates across both genres resulting in a beautiful interplay between them.
Now residing in Tasmania, Crispin Akerman was born in England and came to Australia with his family in 1966, where they settled in Western Australia. He grew up in the Perth where he spent his spare time drawing, painting and playing music. Crispin spent many years in the music industry as member of Perth band Eurogliders before pursuing his lifelong interest in the visual arts. Following a period of study at Julian Ashton in Sydney, he received a Bachelor of Visual Arts from the Canberra School of Art in 1992. Crispin’s first solo exhibition was held at Beaver Galleries in 1995 and his popularity has gone from strength to strength with each exhibition. Crispin’s paintings are represented in collections including Artbank, Parliament House, BHP Billiton, the Australian National University, Canberra Eye Hospital and the City of Bunbury.
