Suburban Fantasy by Gareth Price

Suburban Fantasy by Gareth Price 5 October- 5 November

A collection of visually striking, enigmatic and meticulously detailed acrylic works on canvas that explore ideas to do with the mysteries of life within the suburban landscape of New Zealand.

Gareth paints in a style that is closely aligned to the magical realism tradition which acted as a portal to Surrealism. This is a form of art which originated as a literary term in 1925 when German art criticism, specifically that of the writer Franz Roh, began to focus on the mystery of life behind surface reality. It is a type of realism portraying everyday life in new and unfamiliar ways and often with a twist of the bizarre and unusual. While dreamlike and fantastic elements are added to the art, the subject matter always remains within the realm of the possible which is where it differs with surrealism. "With magical realism things are a bit more considered and recognizable objects are in places they wouldn't normally be. For instance one of my paintings has a dolphin above a house" is Gareth's take.

Suburban Fantasy features intricately detailed paintings that contain mysterious and enchanting narratives. Creatures and elements seem to float or hover either above or within the facade of a suburban dwelling, creating an odd juxtaposition which has a dreamlike effect throughout all of his paintings.

The subject matter has as its focus domestic and everyday life which is symbolized by the facade of distinctive architectural suburban dwellings such as the bungalow, villa and brick and tile from the 1970's. These are suburban homes that are nostalgic yet grounded in reality and which the artist knows well having lived in some of them in his childhood and as an adult. The symbolism of the architectural facade is profoundly interesting and invites much interpretation. Price deliberately omits human participants in his paintings in favour of fantastical creatures. With geographical references such as One Tree Hill, are unique to the New Zealand landscape and signal Gareth development of his own recognizable and distinctive form of New Zealand inspired art.

"The battle to destroy inhibition is both won and lost over Pukekohe"

In a recent interview Price revealed that a deep sense of longing and yearning for the potentially unattainable is a theme and driving force in his art but as can be possibly gleaned from the above title... he doesn't take himself overly seriously... or maybe us!

"With my art I try to express the extraordinary within the ordinary".

Gareth Price, September 2010

You are invited to attend the private preview opening of this exhibition:

Suburban Fantasy by Gareth Price 5.30pm Tuesday 5 October 2010

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