Matthew Cheyne - Keep Off The Grass

In his latest exhibition, contemporary artist Matthew Cheyne creates an otherworldly park to delve into our relationship with public space and its hidden power structures and absurdities, now showing at Mitchell Fine Art, Fortitude Valley.  

Following on from his first sellout solo exhibition, the Ipswich artist reflects on the human urge to idealise nature to the point of abstraction.

A graduate of the Queensland College of Art, Cheyne lived in Germany and France for many years and spent time in the parks and gardens there, sketching and working en plein air.

His artwork has often explored society’s fixation with a form of idealised nature - in minutely groomed lawns, crisp hedges and sparkling blue rectangular swimming pools.

According to Cheyne "Keep Off the Grass is one step further from these domestic idealisations, with grass you can’t even walk on and perfectly conical and circular trees.”

His palette is vibrant and appears to be entirely intuitive, but this belies painstaking research into the semiotics of colour and composition that underpins his practice.

An Opening Night will be held on Friday, June 9 from 6-8pm with the artist in attendance.  The following day, Saturday, June 10 at 11am, Matthew will present an Artist Talk in the gallery.

This is a wonderful opportunity for art lovers and enthusiasts as he delves deep into the inspiration for his artistic practice. Both events are free to attend. 

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