Aaron Kinnane conjures vibrant expressionistic works, usually taking one subject and creating a mysterious, interconnected series of work. Most notably Kinnane has being working with an equine theme, presenting a myriad of horses and associated imagery such as rocking horses. His energetic paintings and photographs display a deep affection for the beasts, who are depicted in bold colours against an atmospheric dark background. Kinnane describes his visual transformation of the animal’s hide as “skins tattooed with fireworks and dawns, and new life.”
Equestrian narratives and mythology are an endless subject in art; we need only think of the Trojan Horse, the Four Horses of the Apocalypse, Surya the Indian God in his animal form, Centaurs, historical battle paintings or even equine portraits by Stubbs, not to mention iconic sculptures such as the San Marco bronzes or Donatello’s Gatamelata. Kinnane’s work both belongs to and is indebted to this history, and yet manages to bring something fresh to his ancient muse. His beasts are proud and majestic like their predecessors, but they are also mysterious, playful, spiritual and at times vigorously independent of our gaze and at others whimsical and childish.
Aaron Kinnane graduated with a BA in Visual Art from Newcastle University in 1998. As an art graduate, Kinnane went to Italy and began his career assisting one of Italy’s most noted contemporary artists and a key character in the 1960’s clique of Andy Warhol, Sandro Chia. Chia lived in a magnificent 12th century castle overlooking the village of Montalcino and Kinnane spent months there learning from the Master and travelling through Europe delivering his paintings. In 2009 Kinnane was invited to attend the wedding of Actor/Singer Ben Lee in an Ashram Village in India that was later the subject of his Archibald Prize entry. Kinnane has had five solo exhibitions throughout Australia, one of which sold out over night, and has exhibited in numerous group shows in Australia and Italy.
