The work: Ben Liney, Endless, 2021. Oil on canvas, 61 x 92cm. Courtesy: the artist.
Straddling the boundary between minimalism and realism, the work of Ben Liney portrays intimate snapshots of our living, changing world. In his work Endless, Liney rigorously delineates a small section of the coastal cliffs on the Otways in Victoria, using small and precise strokes of oil paint to replicate a fragment of the bluffs. These rock faces have been subject to the harsh elements of the sun and sea, moulding them into fantastical shapes that seem almost alien when isolated from their greater surrounds. By using a limited palette, stark contrasts of light and dark breathe life into solid rock, reminding us that even the quiet bedrock we often see as ageless is constantly in a state of flux, subject to the greater movements of nature.
“Scenes of quiet solitude become familiar landforms, grounding the viewer over time to their own place”, says Liney, who strives to encourage a greater sense of intimacy with the details of our landscape.
By taking a reductional approach to his subjects, the artist encourages us to take a closer look at our surroundings and appreciate the extraordinary details of the natural world.