In recent years there has been an increase in the creation and acceptance of figurative art and that includes, promisingly, the acceptance of such work in the high-end market. But why do artist and collectors like art of the Human Form? Simply put it is because art is a means of communicating human experiences, therefore human bodies are naturally depicted. The figurative form can be used as the ideal medium to convey a spectrum of ideas with which the viewer can resonate. The human figure has always been a common subject of visual art, “it forces the viewer to engage the artwork and enables the artist to express an entire range of ideas from the subtle to the intense”. In the history of art the human figure bears, in different ways and through different periods in time, a huge significance, being the most direct means by which art can address the human condition. We take pride in the fact that we are champions of figurative art and as this 13th annual exhibition shows we are not alone in this belief.

The Contemporary Figurative show seeks to showcase the best artwork, selected Nationally and Internationally.

Beautiful, defined as pleasing the senses or mind aesthetically. So what is beautiful then? For some beautiful might be seen as derogatory when used professionally to mean trite and shallow. For most however, beautiful as an artistic perspective is more complex and faceted for which a single answer does not exist. Beauty is physically everywhere and everything, however something being beautiful is not always about the physical features, rather it can be more towards a state of existence. It is a exploration into the aesthetics of pleasing the mind. However, a common thread does appear when viewing the work from the submissions for this show. It does not simplify the answer but it clearly shows that different cultures seem to have some similarities when it comes to seeing and describing what is beautiful. This exhibition will examine the question of what is beautiful by displaying artworks selected from Nationally submitted works by contemporary artists in a juried exhibition that attempts to portray just what is beautiful.

I strive to paint as my mother cooks. For us, the process is absorbing, spiritual, sometimes transcendent – and complete only when you are involved in the outcome. My goal is to initiate shared experiences that we’ll enjoy again and again. I revel in bold colors applied with big brushes and palette knives. I’m looking for the essence of the subject, its truth, more than its details. Rather than rein this state in, I work to sustain it. Thus, I ensure my paintings are never too finished; in fact, they succeed only when there are conceptual spaces for you to fill. There’s no right or wrong way to do that. If you stand closely to my painting, you should begin to feel the way I felt in creating it. If you step back, we can resolve the image together. — Lisa Noonis