4 – 21 November 2021
about the exhibition
Tasmanian printmaker, Michael Schlitz works laboriously by hand, crafting his large wood blocks by gouging marks using a single tool to shape his hand drawings. His intense mark making covers the entire surface; the carved parallel lines surround and permeate the central figure giving the work its demanding presence. Professor Sasha Grishin says of his work, ‘This low-tech, handmade quality is central to his art production, not only creating a completely autograph print but also one that has a dark, mysterious and organic feel about it.’ In this exhibition most of his subjects can be found on beaches – the threshold between land and sea. The characters in his prints often represent a transition between reality and a dream like space – the liminal zone – a threshold for another possible psychological state. The works move from concern with mental health issues through to current environmental issues, acknowledging that the environment that we live in influences us all. Michael feels that ‘the longer you stay in one place the more you become a part of it.’ His prints embed the subject within its surroundings and in doing so, draws an irrevocable link between humans and the natural world.
‘Pictures from the mindfield’ is Michael’s second solo exhibition at Beaver Galleries. He has exhibited widely throughout Australia as well as overseas and, in 2011, was selected as the winner of the Rick Amor Print Prize. Michael graduated with Honours in Fine Arts from the Tasmanian School of Art, University of Tasmania in 1996 before completing his Masters in 2000. His work is represented in collections including the National Gallery of Australia, Art Gallery of South Australia, Queensland Art Gallery and Tasmanian Museum and Gallery.
