Established artist Graeme Altmann brings his latest series of paintings to Boom for his first solo exhibition with us. This body of work is drawn from the story of Graeme’s uncle, Alf Altmann who was lost at sea when trying to row across the Bass Strait in a homemade kayak. “My inspiration has been driven by my love and fear of the sea. I observe its power and its subtleties, its effects and influences. Expressed in paintings and sculpture I endeavour to explore the themes of stability and change: of our human need to strive for new ground, while often suffering a sense of loss and displacement as we transition through life. I do however hesitate to depict a specific location in much of my coastal work preferring to keep the southern geological forms as a painterly experience and allowing the story to develop within that space. Figures in boats are sometimes present and other times not – it’s the awareness of something not being there that refers back to that loss and displacement.” Graeme Altmann was born in Warrnambool, lived and studied in Warrnambool and Melbourne to the age of 26, then relocated to Melbourne permanently where he has continued his full time arts practice. After continued commercial representation for the last 30 years and an expanding arts practice incorporating bronze sculptures and installations, Altmann has now established his own studio and gallery in Melbourne. His work continues to be inspired by the back roads of the Western District and the obscure coastal narrative of the Southern coastline.
