Rick Matear – Artist, Melbourne

Artist Statement

“The natural world, its beauty and the interaction between people and the built form provide constant inspiration for me. Many of my paintings are from the coast or from travel.

I try to capture the sensory experience on canvas. For instance, a sunny day spent lying on the beach, or playing in the surf with friends is a day one remembers in a dreamy haze of fragmented colour and shape.

My most recent works are made using a different process to how I painted previously. Over the past few years, I experimented with drawing, line and colour. Those experiments have enriched my work. By spending more time on the preliminary drawings and line work, I can create a more satisfying and engaging visual story. It becomes clear to me earlier in the process about what is better to leave out, and how best to lead the eye around an image.

It’s been good to return to my favourite theme, water, and to approach it with fresh eyes.”

~ Rick Matear

I acknowledge that my practice has been developed on the land of the Wurundjeri people of the Kulin Nation whose sovereignty was never ceded. I pay respect to their elders past, present and emerging.

About Rick

Rick has had a strong and successful painting career since the early 1980s. Born in 1960, he graduated from the Victorian College of the Arts in 1981. While at the VCA he was awarded the Sara Levi Prize for the most outstanding student in painting.

He has exhibited in Melbourne, Adelaide, Canberra and London. He is particularly known for his ability to capture reflection of light on water and compelling depictions of his beloved Mornington Peninsula. Rick enjoys experimenting with different painting techniques and finding resolutions to the challenges they present.

Rick currently lives and works in Melbourne. His loves are painting, his family, gardening and teaching art. A keen cyclist, he rides to and from work, enjoying the peace and private time that this provides. He has a strong interest in maintaining the unique qualities and historical significance of the Abbotsford Convent precinct, which houses his studio. This inner urban site is nestled alongside a seemingly rural stretch of Melbourne’s Yarra River and hosts a large and diverse community of creatives.