DISTANT SKIES

‘DISTANT SKIES’ – Justin Scivetti

29 January – 9 February 2020

EXHIBITION LAUNCH
Wednesday 29th January, 6-8pm

Saint Cloche Director, Kitty Clark reveals a new body of work from Australian painter, Justin Maurice Scivetti. This latest offering from Justin with muted, soft and dusty colours includes deep accents and a marvellous sense of the unique light found in Australia. The low-saturation scheme in each painting is surprisingly fresh and contemporary, satisfying in their contemplative composition.

Distant Skies is a new body of work drawn from a trip to the ‘Silver City’ (Broken Hill) and the uniquely Australian desert at the western edge of New South Wales. Along the way visiting Kinchega national park, Menindee, and the historic town of Silverton.

In setting out for distant skies I encountered a new and expanded universe that evoked a sense of awe and curiosity. The pink dust, grey scrub, historic buildings, and flora & fauna that inhabit the landscape of impossible flatness all inspired the works into fruition.

The works in this exhibition traverse a visual narrative that bridges the distance between reality and fiction, and of memory and place. Visiting this landscape over a year ago forced upon reflection of memory and emotion, and in revisiting them through plein air sketches and photographs we are reminded of the beauty and mystery.

I always enjoy going back through memory of the places I have visited and experienced and translating them into something new. The narrative unfolds through limited views and isolated snippets to make up the whole. In this expanded universe contrasting and related colours allows for an imaginative reworking of what is actually there. The centrality of light plays a role in the conception of colour and in shaping the substance of the subjects. Through the use of light and shadow, vibrant hues, and attention to the quality of atmosphere the paintings seek to create an otherworldly dreaminess. 

Justin Maurice Scivetti is a figurative Landscape painter based in Melbourne. His artistic practice is balanced by a career in horticulture and landscaping, as well as nourishing his passion for plants working at a nursery.

Floating somewhere between the real and unreal, his landscapes imbue a type of fantasy; they appear mysterious and otherworldly conjuring a quiet stillness. They are inspired by the natural and built environment, exploring subtleties in colour and light to bring the works to life.

Currently living and working in Melbourne, Justin has a Bachelor of Fine Arts after graduating from the National Art School in 2011, a Diploma of Fine Arts – St. George TAFE, Sydney in 2008, and more recently, a Diploma of applied Horticultural Science – Melbourne Polytechnic, 2017. He has been exhibited in numerous exhibitions in Sydney, and Melbourne, and has been a finalist in several art prizes – including recently receiving the Oil Painting Prize in the Waverly Art Prize 2019.

OPENING NIGHT

Wednesday 29th January, 6-8pm

For more information, please contact: info[at]saintcloche.com