“Seek art and abstraction in nature by dreaming in the presence of it” Paul Gauguin

Underneath it all I seem to have this subconscious, historical relationship with the landscape.  Naturally, without thinking about it I find myself wandering around looking at the light and finding the image that lies hidden below the surface.  Growing up Lindauer, Angus, MCcahon, Corot, Constable andTurner were constant companions. There’s this wide, well trodden pathway in me that’s impossible to leave.  It’s in this subconscious, silent relationship that I find myself always drawn back to.  In a way it is the only place I’m truly relaxed.  On my own, in a kind of meditation of sorts, I find myself wandering from place to place looking for moments that remind me of old paintings or childhood memories.  I look for historical reflections that echo both the history of the genre and also how I feel about my childhood growing up, fully immersed in the scenery and the way it’s been represented in art.

Matt Palmer 2022