Alan Bates

The Nature of Things, 9, 2011. Mixed media on paper on board, 65 x 65 cm.

Six new works are currently on show by Alan Bates at Salt Contemporary Art, Queenscliff, as part of the gallery's 'Winter Arts Program'. Alan seems to go from strength to strength. Check it out.

Alan Bates

Alan Bates, Nature of Things 2, 2010. Acrylic on paper on board, 65x65 cm.

Alan Bates, Nature of Things 3, 2010. Acrylic on paper on board, 65x65 cm.

Images reproduced courtesy of the artist. 

Alan Bates creates minimalist arresting harmonies of paint. Bates lives in regional Victoria and his works resource local places such as a disused mine near Heathcote in central Victoria. Bates' paintings are quiet but rewarding. Each line or shape is in symphony with the next and the overall composition is arranged within a field of subtle monochrome. This delicate space is sparely unified by contrasting notes often rendered in darker tones. The resulting works can speak of landscape or the weathered detritus randomly found in abandoned industrial areas including the dockside. A graduate of the University of Ballarat, Bates has been exhibiting regularly, holding solo exhibitions almost yearly since 1990. He is represented by Salt Contemporary Art Gallery in Queenscliff, Victoria.