Closing this week: "Playing with Waves", an exhibition of recent paintings by Phil Henshall. On view at the gallery until Saturday, February 27. View the exhibition online at http://www.quadrantgallery.com.au/phil-henshall-playing-with-waves-2016.html

Exhibition Highlight of the Week: Phil Henshall, “Kilcunda Dumper” (no 7, oil on canvas, $2,000); “Gotha!” (no 5, oil on canvas, $1,800); and “The Rogue” (no 9, oil on canvas, $2,500).

Waves are a central leitmotif in Phil Henshall’s current exhibition. They arise in his paintings from the depths of the ocean, towering, swelling, and gathering speed and momentum before crushing onto the golden beaches (no.7). They inject a mixture of adrenalin and terror into the surfers who dare to ride its crests (no. 5). They wreak havoc with ordinary beach goers as they are tossed and tumbled helplessly in their might (no 9). Henshall’s energetic brushwork conveys the feel, the force, and the speed of the mighty waves. The generous lashings of paint create rich surfaces that evoke the differing textures of these ocean dwellers.
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On view at the gallery until Saturday, February 27. View the exhibition online at http://www.quadrantgallery.com.au/phil-henshall-playing-with-waves-2016.html

Exhibition Highlight of the Week:
Phil Henshall, “Wave Players at St Andrews” (no 1, oil on canvas, 246 x 153 cm, $4,000).

“Wave Players at St Andrews” is one of the many works in the exhibition to focus on Australia’s surfing culture. The diptych is split in two to capture different times of the day and to reflect the irrepressible energy of the youths whom the artist had observed surfing from dawn until dusk. Henshall’s inimitable stylistic and compositional approach, “Aspectivism”, allows the viewer to experience Victorian coastline from multiple angles, including the blue depth of the ocean; the powerful surge of the waves; and the open expanse of azure skies.

On view at the gallery until Saturday, February 27.
View the exhibition online at http://www.quadrantgallery.com.au/phil-henshall-playing-with-waves-2016.html

 "Making Waves", Warragul and Drouin Gazette, 2 Feb 2016, page 20.