Kevin Robertson, Yellow Opal Glacier (detail), 2018, oil on canvas, 121 x 300cm
Kevin Robertson’s paintings engage directly with the natural environment. His work zooms in and out from the micro world of meteorite landscapes to the vast spaces of the desert. Looking at geological perspectives and then to atmospherics in the cloud studies, billions of years of geological time is counterpoised with the transient movement of clouds.
The phenomenon of a constantly changing environment is reflected in the plein air approach. The process of working from direct observation means that very little is predictable as light conditions keep altering, and nothing is repeatable. Working on the ground sometimes, using the causal effects of frottage through the canvas and the subjective influence of the environment itself all affect the outcome of the work.
Nature is in this sense in collaboration with the artist and not a passive subject. Here the accidents of process, the acute observation of sense data and responsiveness to the conditions of the site, creates a plane for what already exists, an intense and visually vibrant Wonderwall.
