Sam Michelle | Play| 2023

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© Martin Browne Contemporary

© All images copyright of Sam Michelle

This catalogue is copyright. Apart from any fair dealing for the purposes of private study, research, criticism or review as permitted under the Copyright Act, no part may be reproduced by any process without written permission.

COMPILER: Bianca Luciano

PHOTOGRAPHER: Simon Strong

ARTIST PORTRAITS: Suzi Appel

COLOUR SEPARATIONS: Spitting Image, Sydney

Front Cover: Tile 4, Play, 2023, oil on canvas, 80 x 80 cm (detail)

25 May - 17 June 2023 Opening Reception 2:00 - 5:00 PM Saturday 27 May 2023

SAM MICHELLE PLAY
ONTEMPORAR
15 HAMPDEN STREE T PADDINGTON NSW 2021 TEL: 02 9331 7997 MOB: 0414 881 999 info@mar tinbrownecontemporary. c om www.mar tinbrownecontemporar y. co m GALLERY HOURS: TUESDAY SAT URDAY 10:30AM 6PM SUNDAY - MONDAY BY APPOINTMENT
MAR TIN BROWNE C
Y

PLAY

Oil paint is not just a medium for me, but a full-time practice and focus. It allows me to create detailed and layered pieces that capture the beauty and complexity of my preferred subject, nature.

Within this exhibition I explore the concept of ‘Play’ through the medium of still life oil painting. ‘Play’ is a collection of paintings in which I use flowers, textiles, and vessels as metaphors for classic childhood games. I hope that by juxtaposing these everyday objects as games, I will be able to create a visual representation of the playful spirit that we often lose touch with as adults. Too often we get caught up in the minutiae of our everyday lives, and we forget to take a step back and enjoy ourselves as a result. With my paintings, I hope to inspire viewers to embrace their inner child and find joy in the simple things, in our daily tasks, in our workplaces, and with our friends and family members.

The compositions in each of my paintings are made from home-grown flowers combined with vessels and textiles that I have collected over the years and transformed them into playful settings. As an example, you may see that portions of fabric are used to represent a snake, and stripes on another fabric are used to represent the rungs of a ladder. Another playful example is vessels and flora constructed to resemble a jenga tower. These paintings are fun compositions of games which when played as an adult, bring out our inner child.

Overall, my exhibition is a celebration of playfulness and creativity. I hope that my paintings will inspire viewers to approach their own lives with a sense of whimsy, fun and imagination, and to not forget the importance of play in our daily lives.

LIST OF WORKS

1. Twister Tapestry, 2023, oil on canvas, 156 x 186 cm

2. Dahlia Dress Ups, 2023, oil on canvas, 146 x 146 cm

3. Gardens and Grandmasters, 2023, oil on canvas, 143 x 143 cm

4. Play, Final Curtain, 2023, oil on canvas, 136 x 156 cm

5. Dahlia Tower, 2023, oil on canvas, 153 x 118 cm

6. Ammobium Jigsaw, 2023, oil on canvas, 108 x 108 cm

7. Tile 1, Play, 2023, oil on canvas, 80 x 80 cm

8. Tile 2, Play, 2023, oil on canvas, 80 x 80 cm

9. Tile 3, Play, 2023, oil on canvas, 80 x 80 cm

10. Tile 4, Play, 2023, oil on canvas, 80 x 80 cm

11. Tile 5, Play, 2023, oil on canvas, 80 x 80 cm

12. Tile 6, Play, 2023, oil on canvas, 80 x 80 cm

13. Tile 7, Play, 2023, oil on canvas, 80 x 80 cm

14. Tile 8, Play, 2023, oil on canvas, 80 x 80 cm

15. Tile 9, Play, 2023, oil on canvas, 80 x 80 cm

16. Tile 10, Play, 2023, oil on canvas, 80 x 80 cm

17. Tile 11, Play, 2023, oil on canvas, 80 x 80 cm

18. Tile 12, Play, 2023, oil on canvas, 80 x 80 cm

19. Tile 13, Play, 2023, oil on canvas, 80 x 80 cm

20. Tile 14, Play, 2023, oil on canvas, 80 x 80 cm

21. Tile 15, Play, 2023, oil on canvas, 80 x 80 cm

Twister Tapestry, 2023 Oil on canvas 156 x 186 cm
Dahlia Dress Ups, 2023 Oil on canvas 146 x 146 cm
Gardens and Grandmasters, 2023 Oil on canvas 143 x 143 cm
Play, Final Curtain, 2023 Oil on canvas 136 x 156 cm
Dahlia Tower, 2023 Oil on canvas 153 x 118 cm
Jigsaw, 2023 Oil on canvas 108 x 108 cm
Ammobium
Tile 1, Play, 2023 Oil on canvas 80 x 80 cm Tile 2, Play, 2023 Oil on canvas 80 x 80 cm Tile 3, Play, 2023 Oil on canvas 80 x 80 cm Tile 4, Play, 2023 Oil on canvas 80 x 80 cm Tile 5, Play, 2023 Oil on canvas 80 x 80 cm Tile 6, Play, 2023 Oil on canvas 80 x 80 cm
Tile 7, Play, 2023 Oil on canvas 80 x 80 cm
Tile 8, Play, 2023 Oil on canvas 80 x 80 cm Tile 9, Play, 2023 Oil on canvas 80 x 80 cm Tile 10, Play, 2023 Oil on canvas 80 x 80 cm Tile 11, Play, 2023 Oil on canvas 80 x 80 cm Tile 12, Play, 2023 Oil on canvas 80 x 80 cm Tile 13, Play, 2023 Oil on canvas 80 x 80 cm Tile 14, Play, 2023 Oil on canvas 80 x 80 cm Tile 15, Play, 2023 Oil on canvas 80 x 80 cm

SAM MICHELLE

SOLO EXHIBITIONS

2023 PLAY, Martin Browne Contemporary, Sydney

2022 Balance, Gallerysmith, Melbourne

2021 Blink Gallerysmith, Melbourne

2021 The Elegance of Spring Collection, online Gallerysmith, Melbourne

2020 Dual Citizen Collection, Gallerysmith Melbourne

2020 I Love You More Collection, online Gallerysmith Melbourne

2020 A Summer Perspective Collection, online Gallerysmith Melbourne

2019 The Country Collection, online Gallerysmith Melbourne

2019 The Long White Cloud Collection, online Gallerysmith Melbourne

2019 The Peony Portrait Collection, Gallerysmith, Melbourne

2018 The Nature of Spring Collection, Gallerysmith, Melbourne

2018 The Getty Collection, Gallerysmith, Melbourne

2018 The Autumn/Winter Collection, Gallerysmith, Melbourne

2018 The Summer/Autumn Collection, Gallerysmith, Melbourne

2017 EMPEREUR, Scout, Melbourne

2017 The Cloth Collection, Gallerysmith, Melbourne

2017 Effloresce, KAB Gallery, NSW

2017 Flourish, St Cloche, Sydney, Curated by Amber Creswell-Bell

GROUP EXHIBITIONS

2022 Sydney Contemporary Art Fair, Martin Browne Contemporary, Sydney

2022 Mothers Day Group Show, Gallerysmith, Melbourne

2021 Thread/s, Works featuring Helen McCullagh textiles

2020 The Moon, the Sea and Me, Studio Home, Christchurch NZ

2019 Share the Dignity, Sydney

2019 Spring Fling, Studio Home, Christchurch NZ

2019 NEXT, Sydney Contemporary NSW

2017 The Inauguration, Southern Buoy Studios VIC

2017 Hyper-Botanica, Gallerysmith, Melbourne

2016 Life Still, St Cloche, Sydney, curated by Amber Creswell-Bell

2016 KAB Gallery, Terrigal NSW

2016 The Moree Gallery, Moree NSW

2015 Brunswick St Gallery, Melbourne

2014 Fawn Gallery, ARI, Melbourne

2014 Art Space (launching artist), City of Casey VIC

2014 9 x 5 Group Exhibition, Walker St Gallery, Dandenong VIC

AWARDS and PRIZE EXHIBITIONS

2022 Shortlisted, Omnia Art Prize, Topeka VIC

2019 Shortlisted, St Kevins Art Show, Toorak VIC

2018 Shortlisted, St Kevins Art Show, Toorak VIC

2017 Shortlisted, St Kevins Art Show, Toorak VIC

2017 Highly Commended, Edrington Art Show VIC

2016 Awarded ‘Home Based Business Of The Year’, Casey & Cardinia Council Business Awards VIC

2016 Best in Show, Cardinia Art Show VIC.

2015 Commissioned Artist, Holt Anzac Exhibition VIC

2015 Highly Commended, Yakkerbo Art Show, Pakenham VIC

2014 Best in Show & Feature Artist, Dromana Art Show, Dromana VIC

2014 Finalist, ‘SHE’ Exhibition, Walker St Gallery, Dandenong VIC

2013 Highly Commended, Edrington Art Show, Berwick VIC

2013 Highly Commended, Dromana Art Show, Dromana VIC

2012 2nd Prize & Highly Commended, Fleetwood Art Show, Berwick VIC

2011 1st Prize & Highly Commended, Fleetwood Art Show, Berwick VIC

2010 Highly Commended, South Eastern Art Festival, Berwick VIC

SELECTED MEDIA

2022 ‘Super Creative’ Podcast interview ep 30

2021 ‘Creative Collection’ Home Beautiful Feature, pg 32-35

2020 ‘Sam Michelle’s Realist Still-Lifes Capture The Beauty of Two Landscapes’, The Design Files, Sasha Gattermayr, August 24

2020 ‘An Artist’s Australian Home Has an Envy Inducing Sunroom and Art Studio’, Apartment Therapy, Natalie Jeffcott, April 10

2020 ‘Interview with an artist – Sam Michelle’, 2ser 107.3 Sydney, Radio Interview, March

2019 ‘The Observer’, Home Style Magazine, Alice Lines, pg 92-95, July issue

2019 ‘10 creative Kiwi women who are smashing it in the home and interior world’, Homes to Love, Bea Taylor, April,

2019 ‘Sam Michelle is the Kiwi artist everyone who loves still-life should know about’, Your Home and Garden, Fiona Ralph, February, pg 20-22

2018 ‘Artist Sam Michelle’, interview, Hocking Stuart Red Magazine, Issue #25, July 2018.

2017 ‘All I Want for Christmas’, Country Style Magazine, stylist Jessica Hanson, November

2017 ‘Studio Visit and Artist Interview: Sam Michelle’, Creative Women’s Circle, Jo Watson, October 30

2017 ‘Sam Michelle Flourish’, The Design Files, Elle Murrell, July 11

2017 ‘Space to Create: Artist Sam Michelle’, We Are Scout, Lisa Tilse, Aug 07

2017 ‘Winner of the Blue Thumb Art Prize People’s Choice Award’, Bluethumb.com.au, Matilda Jenkins, 07 Feb.

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