The work: George Arnold, The Three Sisters, 2023. Acrylic on canvas, 105 x 80cm. Courtesy: the artist.
George Arnold’s The Three Sisters speaks to a unique depiction of the Australian landscape through a postimpressionist lens, defined by saturated hues and the intentional use of bold, expressive brushstrokes. Central to the function of visual perception is the artist’s use of luminance and contrast, creating a visual energy and movement within the image that may otherwise appear completely still. As the viewer’s visual system attempts to make sense of the painting’s use of colour, we are forced to explore the image further, inviting us to connect with the vitality of the Australian landscape.
Sophie Vander, Director, Curatorial+Co., Sydney
The viewer is dropped into the Blue Mountains, immediately oxygenated, surrounded by the gum and haze with the pillars unobstructed in clear view. A confident use of scale and percentages at work in this composition. Space, space and more space wandering off into the distance created via the horizon line placed in the very top meridian of the canvas.
Anna Curnuck, Gallery Director, SIBU Gallery, Sydney