The June U3A Art group were fortunate to be able to attend a lecture given by local super realist painter Tony Flint during the recent Vista – Artists from NE Victoria exhibition.
"Tony Flint is a super realist painter and four of his paintings are currently on display at the Benalla Art Gallery. These paintings might all be described as in the style of brutalist realism – in part maybe magical realism. All are portraits of aspects of the Australian Landscape. One is a landscape of the Andamooka town area. Two are mountains and streams from the North East. One is a display of asteroid like rocks circling close to the ground. One is a scene of mountains and streams. All have rocks prominently displayed. Some have abandoned cars prominently displayed. All have a deserted, devoid of life feel about them.
Tony explained that like other super realist painters his aim is to manipulate the finished image to give an impression, not a precise copy, of the landscape he is attempting to portray. He may include several landscapes into one. He may overload several different landscapes into one image. His aim is to make a painting that portrays all aspects of what he considers sums up the landscape. This is not his idea alone. Of course all painters do this to a greater or lesser extent. He gave examples of other realistic landscape artists – such as Hans Heyson – who manipulated several landscapes into the one finished image. A finished painting is a work of art and stands by itself.
In two of Tony’s paintings he has used the same image of water flowing over rocks. This is not immediately obvious on first viewing, but in the course of Tony’s lecture this was pointed out and it immediately became obvious. Indeed Tony’s lecture made his paintings even more enjoyable and interesting. Understanding of each painting was enhanced and of course this made the experience more enjoyable.
Bravo Tony Flint. We hope he will give more lectures about both his and other people’s art.
Neville Gibb
June 5 2016"
"Tony Flint is a super realist painter and four of his paintings are currently on display at the Benalla Art Gallery. These paintings might all be described as in the style of brutalist realism – in part maybe magical realism. All are portraits of aspects of the Australian Landscape. One is a landscape of the Andamooka town area. Two are mountains and streams from the North East. One is a display of asteroid like rocks circling close to the ground. One is a scene of mountains and streams. All have rocks prominently displayed. Some have abandoned cars prominently displayed. All have a deserted, devoid of life feel about them.
Tony explained that like other super realist painters his aim is to manipulate the finished image to give an impression, not a precise copy, of the landscape he is attempting to portray. He may include several landscapes into one. He may overload several different landscapes into one image. His aim is to make a painting that portrays all aspects of what he considers sums up the landscape. This is not his idea alone. Of course all painters do this to a greater or lesser extent. He gave examples of other realistic landscape artists – such as Hans Heyson – who manipulated several landscapes into the one finished image. A finished painting is a work of art and stands by itself.
In two of Tony’s paintings he has used the same image of water flowing over rocks. This is not immediately obvious on first viewing, but in the course of Tony’s lecture this was pointed out and it immediately became obvious. Indeed Tony’s lecture made his paintings even more enjoyable and interesting. Understanding of each painting was enhanced and of course this made the experience more enjoyable.
Bravo Tony Flint. We hope he will give more lectures about both his and other people’s art.
Neville Gibb
June 5 2016"
Next gathering will be on Monday July 4th 10 -11 am in the Bennett Gallery reviewing the Doug Moran Portrait Prize exhibition
