-
The term borrowed scenery refers to the incorporation of the existing landscape into the design of the domestic garden or home. This phrase frequently comes to mind when I look out past my scraggly garden at the borrowed hills of undulating trees that line Forest Creek on Dja Dja Wurrung Country, and it comes to mind again when I encounter the paintings of Greg Wood. Hills, forests, mountains, valleys and bushland are the focus of his paintings, borrowed from family walks along Chewton’s Forest Creek. Wood’s scenery is deliberately ambiguous, there are no recognisable landmarks or identifiable features. It is this ambiguity that invites the viewer to stay longer, to linger as they search for an anchor of familiarity within the landscape.Where Wood once painted from photographs or en plein air, he now chooses to paint from memory. And with this shift, the sensory impact and emotional register of a place become the source material; the feeling of twigs cracking underfoot, the density of trees giving way to an expanse of horizon, the luminosity of clouds, and shafts of sunlight like a revelation. Foregoing a literal depiction of landscape, Wood instead communicates the sense or feeling of a natural space. The effect is akin to entering one’s own memory, where forgotten experiences lie dormant. As I turn these spaces over in my mind, I recognise these as the kind of paintings I long to get lost in.His latest body of work, Luminous Remnants, includes closely observed formations of light, colour, and atmosphere. Viewed collectively, the eye journeys through these various landscapes. Recognisable features carry across from painting to painting, a smear of red earth here and a glimpse of dense foliage there, but each contains a world unto itself.As water turns to cloud turns to snow, horizons soften, shadows gather and pools of light and water reflect their surroundings. Wood captures the transitory effect of the natural world, as it moves through its seasons with a rhythm. I’m reminded of the healing effect of nature, the way it occupies a tacit space in our memory, and how places and trees and water can imprint our deepest sense of self.Amelia WallinDjaara, June 2024
-
-
More from Greg Wood
-
In Conversation with Greg Wood
April 23, 2024Ahead of his group show with Joel Sorensen and Zoe Amor, we sat down with Australian landscape painter Greg Wood to discuss his new body of work for 'Between the... -
Otomys Radio
Playlist 05: Luminous RemnantsA playlist curated in conversation with Greg Wood for his upcoming exhibition, Luminous Remnants. -
In Conversation with Greg Wood
Ahead of his solo show with OTOMYS, we sat down with the Australian landscape painter, Greg Wood to discuss his new body of work. -
Greg Wood wins The John Leslie Art Prize
Otomys is thrilled to announce the winner of the 2022 Richard Leslie Prize – Greg Wood! Wood’s winning work V34 Reimagining, oil on linen, is a deep and contemplative work.... -
Featuring in New Romantics: Greg Wood
We are witnessing the resurgence of ideas that took root centuries ago - a return to passion in art; a return to atmosphere and awe. Read more. -
Otomys Radio
Playlist 02: Between The Pages of The Earth and Sky April 18, 2024A playlist curated in conversation with artists Greg Wood, Joel Sorensen and Zoe Amor, to reflect the essence of their exhibition.
-
Luminous Remnants : Greg Wood
Past viewing_room
