Overview
Customary Maori narrative has been an ongoing source of inspiration for John Walsh. In his paintings Walsh conjures up dreamscapes and vistas where ancient beings, gods and demigods weave the fabric of human existence and experience.
In his latest exhibition, I can't stop loving you, Walsh takes narrative to new heights with a series of new paintings that feature a suite of landscapes. These are without his archetypal protagonists. Where earlier series have been populated with figures protecting land and culture these pristine environments have no guardians. The need to protect is pre-empted by the work titles: No one’s here it’s ours; No man’s land and State Asset. This grouping could be a commentary on our relationship with the land, and its loss through current political agendas, but like the paintings themselves they are not preclusive and no singular interpretation is given.
Walsh’s painterly individualism is undeniable, and his exhibition at the Gow Langsford Gallery is the perfect opportunity to see first hand the expressive and impressive artist. As we move into a turbulent political time, Walsh's display is a unique way to examine some of today's big issues through a unconvential medium.